Council's Folly
by Aggammenonn
Summary: In the aftermath of the Konoha Crash, Suna's offer of political marriage between Naruto and Temari is accepted by the Konoha Council. Initially forced together, Naruto and Temari quickly grow closer but destiny has many challenges for the couple. Naruto/Temari, will eventually be Naruto/Ino/Temari. First Fanfic so early chapters are somewhat rough. Please Read and Review.
1. Marriage Plans

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Interesting playground though.**

**Now with Beta Power! Please welcome So Said the Dragon. They did an excellent job on this chapter and I look forward to collaborating with them in the future.  
**

**AN**

**Going back and rewriting several early chapters. It was pointed out to me that some of these early chapters were sort of sub par and reading back through them I realized that they were right. Its what happens if you don't actually write for over a decade I guess.**

**"Evil isn't the real threat to the world. Stupid is just as destructive as Evil, maybe more so, and it's a hell of a lot more common. What we really need is a crusade against Stupid. That might actually make a difference."  
― Jim Butcher, **_**Vignette**_

Baki found himself growing increasingly frustrated as the meeting of the Sunagakure advisory council dragged on. The sheer lack of progress was infuriating and he was currently tuning out his fellow councilors as he skimmed Temari's report of her brother's defeat.

_Amazing,_ he thought bitterly. _We have a situation that requires decisive leadership and none of these old fools can agree on anything. It's fortunate that we have at least managed a ceasefire with Konohagakure but if our scout reports are to be believed, we need much more than that. We need to somehow convince them that we mean more than mere lip service to the idea of an alliance, especially difficult after the recent disaster. _

The reports on the table in front of him showed Baki that Sunagakure was in a desperate position. The failed invasion of Konohagakure had cost Sunagakure a significant chunk of it's best chunin and jonin. Already weakened by the fiscal neglect of the Wind Daimyo, Sunagakure now stood as the weakest of the GoKage Villages by a fair amount. According to the reports from scout teams, Iwagakure was currently probing along the Wind/Earth border. Not a promising sign given the bloody history between the two powers. Historically, Iwagakure was the reason Sunagakure had allied with Konohagakure in the first place.

His eyes widened as he considered that. Perhaps Sunagakure's position wasn't as hopeless as he thought. _Konohagakure simply can not afford to allow Iwagakure to conquer us unless they wish to hand Iwagakure a great strategic advantage._ Baki snorted at the thought, no strategist worth his water would allow such a crippling disadvantage if they could avoid it. _It's a pity the Yondaime Hokage didn't survive the Kyubi attack, if he were alive, Iwagakure would never be moving this aggressively._

It was with that thought that he flipped to the last page of Temari's report and almost spit his coffee out in shock. Clipped to the page was a picture of the Konohagakure genin that defeated Gaara. Baki whispered almost prayerfully, "Namikaze!?"

Startled by the sudden movement next to him, Yura glanced at Baki curiously. With only a year of service to the council, Yura was a rising star for his industriousness and loyalty. Still, given his lack of seniority he had only made a handful of statements during the days council session.

Carefully nudging Baki, he leaned over and whispered, "Something wrong Baki? You look like you've seen a ghost or something."

Baki examined his fellow council and decided to share his thoughts.

"You wouldn't be far off the mark Yura. It's possible I may have come up with a way for Sunagakure to recover but I'm unsure of it's chance for success."

Yura rolled his eyes.

"Come on, it can't possibly be worse than Otokaze's brilliant plan to bribe Tanigakure into betraying Konohagakure and allying with us. Something tells me that they are not interested at all in being our buffer against Konohagakure."

Baki snorted with disgust as he thought of that plan. It had taken some effort on his part but he'd managed to scrap that little disaster before it left the council chamber.

"No, I plan on trying to regain our alliance with Konohagakure. We've shared with them how the Kazekage died and Orochimaru's betrayal and while that stayed their hand, we need a military alliance, not just a truce."

"Really?" Yura whispered back confused. "Given how our last alliance ended, what could we possibly offer as a show of sincerity?"

"I may as well explain my plan to the council instead of doing it piece by piece." Standing, Baki addressed his peers. "Honorable members of the Council, some new facts have come to my attention and I believe I have a partial solution to our current issues."

Seeing he now had the undivided attention of everyone in the room, Baki braced himself and clasped his hands behind his back.

"The only realistic solution to our current trouble with Iwagakure is to somehow reestablish our alliance with Konohagakure. It is only through such an act that we can buy the time we desperately need to recover and we all know this. The question facing us is, how do we prove that we won't betray Konohagakure again." Baki ignored the winces from several of the council members as he reminded them that Sunagakure had indeed betrayed Konohagakure once before.

Ignoring the rising back chatter, Baki considered how to phrase what he needed to say. _Perhaps a small Konohagakure history lesson? _Raising his hands for silence, Baki waited until the room quieted.

"In the past, Konohagakure had an ally it trusted with everything. The alliance between Uzushiogakure and Konohagakure was sealed by a marriage between the Shodaime Hokage and a woman named Mito Uzumaki. That alliance lasted for many years until Uzushiogakure was destroyed by Kumogakure and Iwagakure. I believe we can use that tradition ourselves to tie Konohagakure back to our interests."

Ookaze, Baki's self-proclaimed rival on the council fairly exploded.

"You couldn't possibly be serious. We need every shinobi we have! Why would we offer one to Konohagakure and why would they accept even if we did?"

Turning, Baki faced the man directly. Speaking in a calm controlled manner, almost as if speaking to a child, Baki pressed his case.

"Konohagakure will accept because they can not afford the strategic threat of Iwagakure conquering us. They know that facing Iwagakure on two fronts would be a recipe for disaster and as angry with us as they are, I believe Iwagakure is a far greater concern for Konohagakure."

Satetsu, another council member, spoke up in a manner that showed he was irritated.

"Baki, you still haven't told us the rest of it, please stop stalling."

Baki picked up his copy of Temari's report and waved it at the council.

"I would suggest you fully read Temari's report on Gaara's defeat but I will briefly summarize. She states that Gaara was defeated by a single genin even after he fully manifested his Biju." Ignoring the gasps of shock this produce, he pressed on. "She states that this genin, Naruto Uzumaki, and I do stress that surname, produced more kage bunshin then she could count. This forced Gaara to assume Shukaku's full form. Uzumaki then summoned a toad Temari describes as 'almost the size of a mountain.' She also reports that the toad was wearing a blue jacket, smoking a pipe and had a giant tanto which it used against Gaara in his full biju form. I can only think of one toad that matches that description."

Yura glanced up after finishing Temari's report, "So, what do we actually know about this Uzumaki boy? Our pre-invasion intelligence described him as a non-entity."

"I firmly believe that there is more to this boy then Konohagakure is showing the world." Baki stated with certainty. "The records showed he graduated last in his class, but I have personally seen the boy use jonin level techniques with ease. Summoning toads indicates he is apprenticed to Jiraiya and I believe you are all aware of that man's last apprentice? Speaking of the Yondaime Hokage, you may be interested in the photo attached to the file."

Yura glanced at the photo, then at the rest of the council.

"I'm afraid I'm not seeing it Baki, and I don't think anyone else is either."

Baki mentally cursed, of course they didn't see it, blind old fools. "Alright, I want you to look at the young man in the photo and consider the facts. He has spiky blond hair and blue eyes, not common in Konohagakure other than the Yamanaka Clan. He is apprenticed to Jiraiya and is apparently very powerful given that he defeated Gaara."

"Sweet Kami!" an elderly member blurted. "He looks just like a younger Yellow Flash!"

"Precisely," Baki said with a grim smile. "Earlier I told you that the Shodaime Hokage married a woman named Mito Uzumaki. The only Uzumaki I remember from Konohagakure was Kushina, the Red Hot-Blooded Habanero and she died 13 years ago during the Kyubi attack. Now we have Naruto Uzumaki, age 13 who bears a strong resemblance to the late Minato Namikaze, also slain in the Kyubi attack. The boy was listed as an orphan but was enrolled in their shinobi academy sponsored by the Sandaime Hokage. The boy is now apparently apprenticed to Jiraiya, the man who trained the Yellow Flash. There are far to many coincidences, the boy is most certainly the son of the Yondaime Hokage."

"Very well, I can follow your logic," Otokaze said. "However, I am unsure where you are going with this."

"It's very simple, really. We offer Temari in marriage to the Uzumaki boy as a gesture of good faith on our part."

"Why Temari? She is the daughter of our late Kazekage and is quite skilled. Couldn't we offer someone who wouldn't be missed?"

"No. We offer Temari to prove our commitment. Her skill and ancestry will make for an irresistible incentive for Konohagakure's leaders to accept our agreement. Any children from the union are likely to be very powerful and we will insert a clause stating that a male child must be married back to Sunagakure."

The Council members sat back and considered. The proposal would seal the Sand/Leaf alliance and offered the chance to gain powerful shinobi for the village in the future. The potential benefits were quite large with minimal risks. Seeing everyone in agreement, the decision was made to offer an official deal to the Konohagakure council.

* * *

Several days later, the Konohagakure council was gathered to discuss the surprising offer received from Sunagakure. With no Hokage the council was limited. It could not implement policy or assign missions higher than B-rank but it was the de facto power in the village. The council consisted of the heads of the various shinobi clans, with the Sandiame's old teammates Homura and Koharu as honored elders. Also present was Danzo Shimura, an old rival of the late Sandaime and a skilled warrior and tactician. Currently, Koharu was reading the scroll received from Sunagakure.

"This is certainly interesting," she said quietly lowering the scroll. "It seems our esteemed colleagues in Sunagakure wish to make amends for their foolishness."

Her former teammate Homura snorted in disgust.

"Of course they do. If they don't, Iwagakure will crush them. It would serve them right for their treachery, it's a pity that we can't afford to let Iwagakure gain a strategic advantage like that."

It surprised everyone when Danzo spoke up.

"Yes, we can not let Iwagakure gain such an advantage. It would be in our best interests to accept." As the rest of the council turned to him in shock, he continued bitterly. "As you are all aware, I would prefer to simply crush them for their betrayal but circumstances argue against it now. Since we can not punish them without drawing attention from other countries, I see no harm in accepting a deal that will benefit Konohagakure far more than Sunagakure."

"Logically you are correct, Danzo-san," Shibi Aburame droned in the usual Aburame monotone. "This offer does seem to be to our advantage, but I find your stance puzzling. You have always petitioned for the Uzumaki child to be trained by you as a weapon. Accepting this offer would seem to directly counter the position you've held for 13 years."

Danzo tapped his cane as he considered his response.

"It is true that I want him trained as a weapon. I was, however, over-ruled and as such I must consider other ways he may be of use to Konohagakure. Sunagakure is now offering the daughter of their late Kazekage - by all reports a powerful kunoichi - if she marries Uzumaki." He smiled grimly, "I suspect that Sunagakure may have discovered the boy's heritage."

"Troublesome," muttered Shikaku Nara. "If they have not discovered Uzumaki's heritage, this deal is completely in our favor. I remember this Temari girl from the exam and she seemed quite skilled. A wind user as well, very rare here in Konohagakure. Even if Sunagakure has discovered the boy's heritage the deal, while more even, still favors us. Marrying the children of two Kage is likely to produce very powerful children. I suspect that is the reason they want a male child married back to Sunagakure. A male child would be able to start a clan, another point in favor of Sunagakure having guessed who Uzumaki is."

Everyone sat back to consider the Nara's words and examine the offer for other hidden issues.

Having only recently taken his seat as head of clan Sarutobi, Asuma was somewhat confused. _I thought the boy was just an orphan unfortunate in having Kyubi sealed inside him. Everyone here seems to know something about him... wait, he said son of a Kage? Yondaime? He sealed the Kyubi no Kitsune in his own SON?_

In his confusion he blurted out, "Are you telling me that Uzumaki is the Yondaime's son?" To his shock, most of the council simply nodded in his direction. "The Yondaime had a son? Why was this hidden?"

The Yondaime had many enemies," came the reply from Hiashi Hygua. "The boy would have been in grave danger had anyone known who his father was."

Danzo surprised the council by being the next to speak.

"At this point, I don't see any option but to accept this offer. It is slanted too far in our favor to decline without tipping our hand regarding the boy's heritage. If we chose to decline by announcing that heritage, I have no doubt Kumogakure and Iwagakure would react unfavorably. We also need the boy to produce more Uzumaki as possible future containers for the Kyubi. Unless any of you are willing to offer up your own progeny to such a fate?" Seeing the members of the council refuse to meet his eye, he smiled grimly. "Very well, since we are in agreement, let us send our response."

* * *

"**What?**"

The yell from the council chamber echoed through the building. Kankuro found himself in the odd position of hiding from his sister - behind his brother. Not something he would have dreamed of even a month beforehand, but Gaara had been different ever since his loss to the blond kid during the invasion.

The redhead was still stoic in the face of his sisters rage. Kankuro was positive Gaara really didn't understand feelings but he wasn't radiating blood-lust anymore. As far as he knew, other than some bandits on the way back from Konohagakure, Gaara hadn't killed anyone since the invasion. Hence the reason he was hiding behind Gaara as his sister raged. It wasn't cowardice he told himself firmly. His sister was **scary**!

Temari was **not **happy.

"Care to repeat that?" she asked her jonin sensei, sweet as poison. "I could have sworn that I just heard something about being married off to a Leaf shinobi."

Baki sighed to himself. _I just knew this was going to happen. The only good thing is that Gaara seems to be...well not killing me. I'm going to take that as a win even if Temari might do it for him._

"Temari, this is an order from the council. To cement our alliance with the Leaf, we need a strong symbol of commitment. I am truly sorry, but as the daughter of a Kage, you always knew a political marriage was in your future."

Temari ground her teeth as she snarled back.

"Yes, I knew that I would most likely have a political marriage but here, **in Sunagakure**! Not married out as a sacrifice to another village!"

To his credit, Baki did feel sorry for his former charge.

"We need this alliance badly Temari. If there was any other choice, but there isn't." Shaking his head sadly, he continued. "We were tricked by Orochimaru, but we still attacked despite the previous alliance. If we don't regain Konohagakure as an ally, Sunagakure will face Iwagakure moving against us alone. With the losses in the invasion, we wouldn't be able to stop them. We need time Temari, and your sacrifice will buy us that time."

Temari gripped her fan hard enough to leave small dents in the metal. She clamped her jaw shut against the urge to rage against the world that seemed turned against her. Reminding herself that she was a kunoichi, she forced herself to calm down. _I suppose it is a shinobi's duty to sacrifice for the village_ she told herself grimly. The council's logic didn't help her but it did make a great deal of sense.

Taking a deep breath, she lifted her head to meet Baki's gaze.

"I understand my duty Baki-sensei, but I still hate this. Has my future husband been decided?"

Baki debated telling her but with Gaara standing there decided to play it safe.

"No," he calmly lied. "We have yet to hear back from Konohagakure." He didn't want to be near Temari when she found out and he **really **didn't want to be anywhere near Gaara. "I would recommend that you study Leaf customs while we wait. Once again, for what it's worth, I am sorry Temari." Having said that, he walked off leaving the three siblings alone.

Closing her eyes to stop the tears, she was shocked when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Looking down, she was amazed to see Gaara was trying his best to comfort her.

_I don't think he really understands_ she thought seeing the confusion in her brother's eyes, _but he is trying. _Forcing a small smile she covered his hand with her own. "Thank you Gaara."

Gaara wasn't sure what his sister was feeling, but he recognized tears as a symbol of the same feelings he used to have as a child. They were feelings in need of comfort. _Perhaps this is what Uzumaki meant when he talked about precious people?_ Taking his hand off her shoulder, Gaara tried to voice what he was feeling. "Temari, if he hurts you, I will kill him."

To her own surprise, Temari pulled Gaara into a hug. Gaara had threatened to kill her many times when she was younger but he had never threatened to kill for her.

"Thank you Gaara."

Eying the gates in the distance, Jiraiya glanced at his traveling companions. Hot, big busted ex-teammate? Check! Ex-teammate's hot apprentice? Check again. Calm, collected apprentice? Chec.. he paused, sensing something was seriously wrong.

"Hey Gaki, shouldn't you be, I don't know, bouncing around yelling about ramen or something?"

Crossing his arms, Naruto glared at him.

"Ero-Sennin, I **died** on this trip. I'm tired of hiding everything I feel behind a mask of smiles. I'm done with it. As soon as we get back and get Baa-Chan settled, I'm gonna go get rid of the jumpsuits."

Shizune spoke up.

"But Naruto-kun, I thought you like orange?"

"Oh, I do. Orange is completely awesome." Glancing at Jiraiya and Tsunade, he added, "It's a mix of red and yellow, how could it **not **be great."

A short glance passed between the two Sennin as they read the deeper meaning to the words.

_Guess that answers my question on if he knows who his parents were._ Jiraiya stifled a laugh as they passed through the gates. The kid might have dropped his "I'm happy with everything" mask but he was still filled with enough energy to bounce around like a pachinko ball. Watching Naruto leap up to walk on the wall next to them Jiraiya had a thought. _He may have decided not to pretend to be happy all the time but I doubt it changed who he is. _

"Alright Gaki, while I get Hime here settled at the Hokage tower, how about you go home and do that whole jumpsuit burning thing you were talking about?'

"Sounds like a plan Ero-Sennin!" Naruto called as he bounced off.

"You know," Tsunade said as the walked along. "He looks so much like his father but Kami he acts like his mother."

"Yes and no Hime," Jiraiya replied seriously. "He may have some of her traits but Kushina wouldn't have mastered the Rasengan in less then a month. The kid has tons of potential and if he gets serious with his training, his skill level is gong to skyrocket." Finding himself facing the door to the Hokage's office, he gave Tsunade a small bow with a smirk. "After you Hime."

Resisting the urge to smash him through a wall or two, Tsunade entered to find herself facing her old sensei's desk. It hit her then, for the first time she really felt the grief of the Old Man's death. Crossing her arms, she hugged herself as a few tears escaped. Taking some deep breaths, she calmed herself and turned to face her old teammate.

"It's hard to believe the Old Monkey is gone," she said softly. "I could almost see him when we walked in." Sliding behind the desk, she realized that she still wanted to make the Old Man proud. "Wonder if he still had that 'emergency sake' stashed in his desk?" Opening the bottom drawer, she flashed Jiraiya a smile as she pulled out a jar. "Nice, Mount Myoboku. I take it you gave this to him?"

Before he could answer, the door opened and Kaharu and Momura entered the office. Tsunade eyed them, remembering that they were the elder advisers on the council and not two of her favorite people. _Fantastic, _she thought. _If I want to get anything done, I have to play nice and not just tell them off._

"Welcome back Tsunade-sama," they said in unison with short bows. Homura continued, "We are pleased to see you return to take up your families mantle but there is pressing news." Producing a scroll and handing it over, he waited for her to scan the contents. "Sunagakure has made a rather interesting offer and the council decided to accept it."

Tsunade finished reading the scroll and steepled her fingers in front of her face. The full council agreed to this?

"Hai, it was a unanimous decision Hokage-sama."

"I'm to understand that the council also believes Sunagakure is aware of Naruto's heritage?"

"Hai."

Tapping her fingers together Tsunade leaned back to consider her options. She couldn't override the council because the offer had already been accepted. Attempting to stop it now would simply be a political disaster but she wondered if the council realized what it had done.

"Has the council considered the consequences of Naruto's marriage domestically?" she asked with a sugar sweet smile.

A look of confusion passed between the two elders before Koharu spoke.

"I'm afraid I'm not sure what you are referring to Tsunade-sama."

With a grin a tiger might have envied, Tsunade answered.

"When Naruto marries, he will officially become head of both Clan Uzumaki and Clan Namikaze. As such, he will inherit everything of his parents including funds and the Namikaze council seat. Surely you didn't forget something like that when you approved this marriage?"

Jiraiya roared in laughter as both elders assumed expressions of shock and dismay. They had obviously not considered that the clan inheritance laws would apply to Naruto. Those eligible to become clan heads did so when they reached jonin rank or when they married. Short of canceling the proposed engagement and embarrassing themselves there was nothing they could do to stop Naruto from becoming head of Clan Namikaze.

Jiraiya's only concern was that there would be no way to keep the matter quiet and soon Minato's enemies would have a new target for revenge.

**AN:First Fanfic. Decided on a Naruto/Temari fic cause A: Temari is awesome and B: She hardly ever gets front billing, usually stuck in a harem.**

**Words to live by: "Build a man a fire, he stays warm for a day. Set a man on fire, he stays warm for the rest of his life." Harry Dresden. Cold Days.**


	2. Seriously?

**Disclaimer: As Usual, I don't own Naruto**

**AN**

**Another chapter rewritten. Now edited by my fantastic beta So Said the Dragon**

**Recap: The Councils of Suna and Konoha have agreed to a marriage between Naruto and Temari. Arriving back in Konoha, Tsunade is surprised in her office by the council elders with the news. Learning of his marriage, she reminds the elders that all Namikaze assets, including the council seat become Naruto's upon his marriage.**

**"We have now left Reason and Sanity Junction. Next stop, Looneyville."  
― Jim Butcher, **_**Grave Peril**_

After a quick stop as Ichiraku Ramen to down a few bowls of his favorite dish, Naruto headed off to his apartment intent on disposing of his collection of jumpsuits.

During the month leading up to the chunin exam third stage he had used his improved stealth and henge skills to quietly assemble a new outfit for himself. He was still firmly convinced orange was his color, but he'd reluctantly decided that perhaps he shouldn't wear so much of it. He'd been delighted when he found a store selling colored animal prints, including a pair of orange and black tiger stripe pants. He still got to wear orange but the pants were much more professional. He was dismayed when he couldn't find a matching jacket, so he made due with a black one that had three narrow orange stripes running down each sleeve.

He was broken out of his thoughts by the sound of a child sobbing nearby. Hopping up on a nearby roof, he was surprised to see Konohamaru sitting there, knees hugged to his chest as he cried. Walking over, he sat down next to him and ruffled the kids hair gently.

"Hey Kono, whats wrong with you?"

Konohamaru glanced up, his eyes full of pain and Naruto had to lean in as the boy whispered.

"I miss Grandpa, but everyone keeps telling me I gotta move on. It's like they're forgetting him, like he was never here. It's not right! He was the Hokage! How can people just forget him?"

Pulling his adopted little brother into a one arm hug, Naruto ruffled his hair again soothingly.

"Kono, no one is going to forget about Jiji. He was Hokage for a really long time and he did a lot for this place. I bet if you go up to just about anyone, they will have a story about him. He is still here in our hearts and what we can do is live in a way that would make the Old Man proud."

"You really think so Boss?" the sniffing boy asked.

Naruto flashed him a heartfelt smile.

"Yeah, I know so Kono."

Konohamaru studied his proclaimed rival, "Hey Nii-chan, when did you get so.." he paused to consider a word that would fit, "I don't know, smart I guess."

Naruto quietly chuckled at the other boy's confusion, "I learned when I was younger that if I acted like an idiot, people paid attention to me. It was a trade off you know - I wasn't happy about being called names and being insulted, but they at least knew I was alive."

Konohamaru's eyes were wide as he stared at Naruto. This wasn't a side of his friend he'd ever seen before, Naruto was supposed to be all smiles and laughs. For a moment he felt like he was talking to his grandfather, listening to one of the stories of his youth. A strange combination of sadness and joy welled up within him, and he wasn't sure how to respond. Still, appearances had to be maintained so he rolled his eyes.

"That seems kinda stupid Boss."

Cuffing the back of Konohamaru's head, Naruto stood up.

"Hey, you gonna try and tell me your old attacks on Jiji were any different? I gotta get moving but I'm glad you're feeling better. Ja ne." Flashing a foxy grin, he formed a ram seal and vanished in a swirl of leaves.

"Hey, when did Boss learn Shunshin?"

Popping up in front of his apartment, Naruto was surprised to see Jiraiya waiting for him with a serious expression.

"Ero-Sennin? I thought you were with Baa-Chan. Shouldn't you be off doing some 'research' or something?"

"Damn it Gaki, stop calling me that!. Aww, I don't have time for this right now. Hime wanted us over at the hospital half an hour ago. Where the hell have you been?" After listening to Naruto quickly explain finding Konohamaru, he nodded his head. "You did a good thing Gaki, and it's a good excuse, for anyone but Tsunade. We gotta go now or she is gonna turn us to paste."

After a quick fear filled nod from the blond, they both vanished in swirls of leaves.

* * *

Sakura and Ino were happily chatting as they walked into Sasuke's room. Sakura had been checking up on Kakashi and Sasuke daily hoping that they would wake up. Most days Ino would accompany her as the girls worked on repairing the friendship their rivalry over a boy had almost ruined.

Sakura still wanted Sasuke but she winced as she thought back over the things she had thrown away in pursuit of the boy. With her sensei and teammate in the hospital and the other teammate out doing Kami knows what, Sakura had remembered how much she hated being alone.

_I'm not going to give up on Sasuke-kun, _she thought to herself. _I am going to have to find some sort of balance between him and everything else though._ She was broken out of her thoughts when she heard voices coming from Sasuke's room.

Recognizing one of the voices as Naruto's she surprised herself by smiling. She found that she had actually missed the boy while he was gone. It seemed her hyper teammate was finally back but she was curious as to why he was in Sasuke's room.

Opening the door, she saw Naruto but didn't recognize either of the other two in the room. One was a white-haired old man, leaning against the far wall with his arms crossed as he observed the room's other occupant. She was a woman who looked to be in her late 20's, with her blond hair in twin pigtails. She was wearing a green jacket with the symbol for Gamble emblazoned on the back for some reason.

The woman was holding her hands near Sasuke's head and Sakura started to panic until she realized the green glow was medical chakra.

Naruto looked up as his teammate entered the room.

"Hey Sakura-chan! Guess what? Baa-Chan here is going to heal Sasuke. She already woke Kakashi-sensei so this shouldn't take too long."

As Sasuke groggily woke up, Tsunade backed away and Sakura ran over and hugged the newly awakened boy. Ino stood by the door sadly- she just hoped that Sakura would remember her promise to be friendly rivals now that Sasuke was awake. She'd missed her friend when they'd been fighting.

Tsunade and Jiraiya both noticed Naruto seemed down after his teammate didn't bother to even say hello. Jiraiya used their old team hand signals to tell Tsunade about the boy's crush.

_What about the blond at the door, _she signed.

_Pinkies rival for the killjoy_ was the quick response. Narrowing her eyes at Naruto, she considered his reaction to his pink-haired teammate.

_That's going to make telling him the news I have for him harder. Still, it's a good thing that she doesn't return his interest. Hmm, maybe I can get Jiraiya to tell him?_ Glancing over, she noticed the Toad Sage had disappeared on her leaving a note behind that read, **Sorry, not a chance Hime**.

Crushing the note in her hand, she cursed the man. _Oh, I'm gonna pay this back in spades._

"Alright," she said addressing the young shinobi in the room. "There is a meeting in my office tomorrow at nine. I've heard that your little group is known as the Konoha 12 and all of you will be required to attend."

"Was there anything else?" Naruto asked preparing to leave. When Tsunade shook her head, Naruto flashed her a foxy grin and mock saluted her. "See ya tomorrow Baa-Chan!"

Smiling at her irritated face, he vanished from the room in a shunshin as the others in the room stared at him in shock.

Reappearing near his apartment, Naruto smirked to himself. _Gonna have to thank Ero-Sennin for the training tips and showing me the seals for shunshin._ It was just so much fun to vanish and pop up somewhere else. The only way it could get better is if it were an actual teleportation jutsu rather than just chakra enhanced movement. Headed inside, he wasted no time digging out his new outfit. Finished changing, he examined himself in the mirror. _Wow, I look pretty good in orange and black. I should have thought of this sooner._

Examining the pile of old clothes, Naruto grabbed a pair of scissors and carefully cut the white Uzumaki Swirls off all the jackets. Gently running his thumb over the fabric, he felt a great deal of pride mixed with sadness.

_I swear to you Kaa-chan, I will revive the Uzumaki Clan._ Shaking off the melancholy of his thoughts, he gathered the clothes with a maniacal grin. _Muhaha, this is gonna be fun._

Using shunshin again, Naruto popped up at the old team 7 training grounds. Placing all his old jumpsuits in a pile, he stepped back carefully forming hand seals.

_Alright, gotta inhale, mold chakra in my lungs, breathe out, NOW! _

_**"**_**Goukakyuu no Jutsu!**_**" **__**H**_e yelled, expelling a large fireball at the orange pile in front of him.

For a first attempt, the jutsu was fairly impressive. Naruto had managed to mold the chakra correctly with the proper hand seals. He'd had to read up some on fire jutsu and he'd closely watched Sasuke perform this jutsu many times. What he had forgotten was his massive chakra reserves and as usual he overloaded the jutsu.

A proper **Goukakyuu** is a large, fast fireball that expands to a radius of about 15 feet when it hits its target. Naruto's overpowered fireball incinerated the pile 20 feet in front of him and the shock-wave hit him hard enough to toss him across the training field into a tree.

Staggering to his feet, he shook his head to clear it as he stared at the scorched spot that use to be his clothes. He jumped in the air, raising his fists in triumph when he realized he had successfully used Sasuke's favorite fire jutsu. Patting at his singed clothes he grimaced, _ok, more or less successfully. _Remembering something Jiraiya had let slip on their trip home about the uses of shadow clones, he frowned. _Next time I leave untested jutsu to the clones._

The next morning found the Hokage's office fairly full as Naruto and his varied friends all crowded in. Tsunade sighed as she sat behind her desk facing assembled 'Konoha 12' and their respective sensei. Fiddling with the official marriage arraignment, she stalled for time by examining those present.

Naruto she noted, looked far more serious in his new attire but he still seemed to radiate excitement. Sasuke, standing next to him looked better then yesterday but seemed to be brooding. Sakura seemed torn between looking hopefully at the boy and casting quizzical glances at Naruto. Everyone else stood at relative attention though the Nara boy looked as if he was going to fall asleep and the girl with buns in her hair seemed to be staring at her with stars in her eyes. _No use putting this off any longer,_ she thought to herself.

"Tomorrow, when I officially become Hokage, I will be making an announcement but the news affects those here more then most." Seeing that she now had the rapt attention of everyone present she continued. "There will be a political marriage to solidify the new alliance with Sunagakure. The respective councils agreed to this before I returned and the bride and groom have been decided upon. A young woman from Sunagakure will be coming here and will be marrying into one of Konohagakure's clans."

Tsunade stopped as everyone started looking at Sasuke, with occasional glances at Kiba, Shikimaru, Shino and Neji.

"I can see what you're thinking, but you're all wrong," she said.

"If it isn't anyone here, why are we here, Baachan?" Naruto asked in confusion

Eye twitching in irritation, Tsunade had a sinister smirk. "That would be because _you_ are the groom Naruto." _Teach him to call me Baachan._

The room was deathly quiet as Naruto began cursing.

"They know, don't they?" he asked quietly.

With a nod Tsunade replied, "We believe so."

Raising her hand to cut of the sudden explosion of questions, Tsunade decided she would let Shikimaru ask the question everyone wanted answered. Her faith in the famed Nara intelligence was not misplaced as he spoke.

"Hokage-sama, you said that the Sunagakure woman would be marrying into a Konoha clan but then said that Naruto would be the groom. As far as we know, Naruto is a clan-less orphan. What clan is he a member of?"

"Naruto is actually a member of two clans.", was the answer, flooring most everyone in the room. "His mother was Kushina Uzumaki, last known member of the Uzumaki clan from Uzushiogakure. The Uzumaki are honored here in Konoha by having their symbol emblazoned on our jackets and uniforms. This is a show of respect for the alliance formed when my grandmother Mito Uzumaki married the Shodaime Hokage." Ignoring the bulging eyes that traveled between her and her grand-nephew, she ignored Naruto's small signs to stop. "In addition, as you may not know, when a person becomes Hokage, their family becomes clan via Konoha law. Naruto is also the son of Minato Namikaze, better known as the Yondaime Hokage.

With a sigh, Naruto looked and saw that most everyone in the room was staring at him complete shock. The two noticeable exceptions were Asuma, who was giving him a sad smile, and Kakashi who was giving him one of those creepy 'eye smiles' Turning back to Tsunade he spoke quietly.

"Baachan, you had better have a really good reason for this."

Tsunade was surprised by the rage she saw in his usually cheerful eyes until she stopped and thought about it. _Once this is announced, not only will he have his father's enemies after him, a lot of villagers will try and suck up to him. I knew this was going to make his life harder but I honestly didn't think about that. _

"There are several, but lets start at the beginning. First, Sunagakure demanded you. According to the council, that made it clear that they knew, at least in part, who you were. Second, the woman they are sending is the daughter of a Kage and_ you _are related by blood or marriage to four of the five Hokage. Last, and the council forgot about this part, Naruto, do you know what the requirements to be a clan head here in Konoha are?"

"No" he whispered. "I haven't looked into it yet"

"To be head of a clan, you must either be a jonin or you must be married." Tsunade lectured. "The day you marry, you become head of the Namikaze clan and inherit all its assets and its council seat."

"Baachan, what about the Uzumaki clan? I swore a promise to restore it, datteboyo." His verbal tic resurfaced under the stress of the moment.

"Naruto, you are an Uzumaki as well as a Namikaze. Any children you have will be of both clans, so you will be restoring the Uzumaki clan. If you're so bound and determined to restore the Uzumaki, this is a perfect chance. It's not like you'll have to worry about finding a wife."

Naruto glared at her, the sort of glare he saved for dealing with Kyubi. He did manage to grind out a question.

"Did they give us the name of the bride?"

Glad for an excuse to escape his fulminating glare, Tsunade lifted the scroll.

"Says here her name is Temari."

_Temari,_ Naruto thought. _I know that name... __He glanced around the room to see if someone else recognized her. Everyone looked surprised and confused – but he stuck on Tenten. She was trying to crawl into her self. __Hmm...Oh. Not her. __**Please, **__don't let it be her. _

Watching Naruto's face, Tsunade was surprised when the flash of recognition was replaced by a look of horror followed by what seemed to be barely controlled panic.

"Alright, everybody out. I've got some personal stuff to go over with the groom here." After everyone filed out, she came out from behind her desk and faced Naruto. "Alright Gaki, what's wrong with this Temari girl?"

"Everything. She's crazy! She nearly killed Tenten during the chunin exam!" He stomped his foot. "And her _brother _is Gaara of the Desert. Gaara, _Shukaku's host! _I fought him during the exams and he's even more crazy then Temari! He almost killed me!"

Tsunade sighed as she pinched the bridge of her nose in exasperation.

"Alright, ignoring the whole, 'homicidal jinchuriki' problem for the moment, I have some things for you." Crossing the room to the portrait of the Fourth Hokage on the wall, Tsunade lifted it, revealing an elaborate seal on the wall. "Alright Gaki, get over here. This is a blood seal, keyed to anyone from your father's line. I need you to open it for me."

Pulling a kunai out of its holster, Naruto nicked his thumb and pressed the bloody digit against the seal. The seal seemed to rotate before it expanded and the safe unlocked with a quiet click.

Reaching into the safe, Tsunade pulled out a scroll bearing the symbol of the Yondaime Hokage.

"Alright, need you to bleed a bit more for me." she told Naruto in a teasing manner. Ignoring the obvious rolling of his eyes, she watched him undo the seal and then opened the scroll. She couldn't stop a snort of laughter as she read the short note.

_Hey Old Monkey. If you're reading this, then I'm gone. If so, I leave everything to my son Naruto. In addition, no, I will not tell you how I finished my paperwork that fast. _

_"_Hey Naruto, I think I have proof at least some of your sense of humor comes from your dad." Handing Naruto the scroll, she giggled as he laughed.

Feeling better then he had since the meeting began, Naruto was curious.

"Alright Baachan, what do we do now?"

"Well Gaki, since the scroll says you get everything, and you're going to be married, I say we go see your parents house."

* * *

While Naruto and Tsunade remained in her office, everyone else regrouped in a conference room down the hall.

"This is incredible!" Ino shouted. "This is the best scoop I have ever gotten. I never would have thought Naruto would be the first of us to get married, never mind become head of _two _clans!"

"Well, you heard what the Hokage said, Suna demanded Naruto." Shikamaru said from his place against the wall. "It doesn't make sense though," he said irritably "I get why his heritage was hidden, but I've seen the way the villagers look at him. Why would they despise Naruto?"

True to his nature, Shikamaru was more or less unable to let go of something so puzzling.

"I always thought he was just a loud mouth" Kiba piped up. "Did you guys notice that he was acting strange in there? Naruto was really quiet."

"Yes" Shino said quietly. "He seemed far more controlled. In the past, he would react explosively to such news. That means one of two things happened. One, Naruto has matured greatly in a very short amount of time, or two, Naruto has always been that way and we have been dealing with a mask. Given what we have learned, I believe that the latter is by far more correct."

Having said his piece, Shino exited the room as everyone else tried to come to terms with his rather startling conclusions.

Outside, Hinata was crying as Kurenai held her. When Tsunade informed them that Naruto was to be the groom, she felt as if her heart had been ripped out. For years she had loved him, but every time she tried to talk to him, she would stutter and completely embarrass herself. She'd never thought that she would run out of time to tell him so soon.

"Shh, its OK Hinata," Kurenai told the girl softly. "Its alright, let the tears out. Just because he is getting married doesn't mean you can't be his friend."

Raising her head from her sensei's shoulder, Hinata looked tearfully at her sensei.

"I didn't want to be his friend Kurenai-sensei, I love him."

Gently stroking the girls hair, Kurenai murmured, "I'm sorry Hinata, but it's just not meant to be. You know how your clan works. Even if he wasn't getting married, in the end, you still wouldn't have had him."

"Sensei?" the crying girl asked in shock.

"Shh, I know Hinata. I know it hurts, but time heals all wounds. For now, just let the tears out."

* * *

Naruto and Tsunade stood facing a gate in the Clan district.

"This, Naruto, is your parents old house. Anything in there belongs to you, though I would recommend you do some cleaning. The seal on the gate here was made by your father and I don't think even Jiraiya could bypass it." With a slight smirk, she added, "Shouldn't be a problem for you though."

With a quick shunshin, Tsunade returned to her office.

Unsealing the gate by reopening the cut on this thumb, Naruto entered his new property. The land was small for a clan compound, but he supposed the Namikaze clan had never been as large as the Uchiha or Hyuga. The gardens had long ago taken over and filled the stagnant koi ponds with green – still, he could see the beauty, and a little work would restore it to it's former beauty. The main house stood in the center of the gardens, three stories of traditional stonework and rice-paper in need of some maintenance, with softly sloping red-clay rooftops and opulent dragon guardians on the corners.

He pushed open the main entrance, careful not to damage the aged wood. No one had come into the house after his parents had died – all of the furniture remained where it was last, coated with a thick film of grey dust. He passed through the entrance and into the sitting room, a television sitting at the far end of a kotatsu. Everything would have to be replaced, from the electronics to the fabrics, even the curtains, but it looked like most of the wood furniture would be fine with a careful cleaning.

He glanced around for another moment before making his way upstairs. It was dominated by bedrooms, four of them. The master bed was the only one that looked like someone had used it before the house was abandoned. His parents night clothes were still folded on the bed, waiting for them. He shut the door carefully and made his way to the third floor.

His parents, or perhaps his grandparents, had made the third floor a training room. It was a large, open expanse with wood floors – threadbare training mats sat in a pile in the corner, several training dummies lined up against the far wall, weapons along the walls. The training room wasn't the place for practicing jutsu, but it was more than appropriate for practicing taijutsu and weapon skills – as long as the person practicing wasn't Lee.

He returned to the ground floor. He passed through the dining room and kitchen, noting with glee the amount of space he had for ramen, and noticed a tightly shut door. He pushed it open, revealing the cool, stone space of a basement – the jackpot, as far as the home of a ninja was concerned. He carefully took the stairs one at a time in case they were rotting through.

Most of the room was a library, cool but not damp, perfect for the delicate paper. The bookshelves were overflowing with scrolls and books – he could almost tell which belonged to his mother and which to his father just by the neatness some of the shelves seemed to have. A small corner of the room held a work bench, holding a strange, three-pointed kunai. The overflow of scrolls on the shelves above it seemed to indicate his father or mother was making weapons scrolls in their spare time.

One-third of the basement was walled off to make a separate room that opened with another seal. It was obviously his father's private study, fill with fuinjutsu supplies. An open scroll lay on the large, but simple, desk at the opposite end of the room. He stepped inside to take a closer look.

_Hm. __**Hirashin no Jutsu, **__huh? I wonder what it does._

He almost sat down to read, but the smell of dust was beginning to bother him, and he needed to get some air before he went into a coughing fit. He decided it would be a good idea to get to bed in the next hour or so – he scouted out the cleanest room, a corner space on the second floor. He stopped in the doorway, producing 100 clones that looked rather amused to be there.

"Alright guys, I'm headed to bed, but I want you guys to start cleaning this place up. Start with the main rooms, and if you have time, start on the training fields. I want you five to head downstairs and start going through the library, and I want you to read that scroll I found earlier. Remember, this is our new home, so **absolutely no explosions!**"

Watching the clones salute and run off, Naruto crawled into bed, at least somewhat satisfied with the day.

* * *

**"There are things you can't walk away from. Not if you want to live with yourself afterward."  
― Jim Butcher, **_**Death Masks**_

-Omake-

Naruto was dead. Kabuto's counterstrike had killed him, even as the rasengan blew him away. Surrounded by darkness, Naruto shrugged and headed towards the only light he could see. When hands landed on his shoulders he whipped around in surprise and found himself facing both his personal Hero, the Yondaime and a woman with bright red hair.

"Stop Naruto," the Yondaime said "It is not yet your time to go."

"H-Hokage-sama," Naruto stammered "How do you know my name?"

With a proud smile the Yondaime replied, "How could I not know the name of my son? Our time here is short, but I believe your mother here would like to say something."

Sweeping forward, the red-haired woman pulled Naruto into a hug, whispering into his ear.

"I'm sorry I left you alone. Your father and I were so happy when we learned I was pregnant. Promise me you'll revive our clan son. It was our dream."

Feeling himself fade away as both Tsunade and the Kyubi pulled him back to the land of the living, Naruto faced his parents proudly.

"I promise Kaa-chan, Tou-san. I will revive our clan, datteboyo."


	3. Arrival and Training

**Disclaimer. Yep, still don't own Naruto**

**Now Betafied by So Said the Dragon**

**I let out a battle cry. Sure, a lot of people might have mistaken it for a sudden yelp of unmanly fear, but trust me. It was a battle cry."  
― Jim Butcher, My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding**

**OK, few things I want to point out. Obviously, Naruto has his hands on Hiraishin no jutsu however its going to be a long time till he can use it like his father. Canon states that Minato was more or less greased lighting even before he started teleporting around. Naruto is nowhere near that fast and at present in this story, still requires a bit of time to form a Rasengan. As such, he can't pop up, instacap you with a Rasengan then flash to his next victim like his father could. Speaking of his father, yes, Minato is sealed in the Shinigami. The versions of his parents he met were their sealed chakra manifesting to save their son's life.**

Naruto wandered downstairs to discover a thoughtful clone had picked up some cereal for him. Grumbling a bit at himself for forgetting to transfer his stash of instant ramen, Naruto sorted through the memories of the clones dispelled during the night.

A couple of things stuck in his head and he made mental note to explore them further but what really had his attention was **Hiraishin no Jutsu**. _No way, this must be the Jutsu that made tousan a legend. Space-time ninjutsu? Oh, this is gonna take a lot of work._

From what he could understand, the scroll was the rough outline of an incredibly complex teleportation ninjutsu. He thought he got the gist of what he needed to do, but more than half the notes were gibberish to him. _Damn, I'm gonna have to learn fuinjutsu theory. Won't that be fun._

Naruto headed outside intent on creating his clone army for the day. While he might get stuck learning 'protocol' today, at least his clones could get something done.

Before he could summon them, he noticed one of his clones from last night standing in the middle of a barren training field. Noting it had his attention, the clone started bouncing up and down excitedly.

"Boss, boss, you're gonna love this. **Bunshin Daibakuha!" **As soon as the clone uttered those words, Naruto was rocked back as the training field became a small crater.

_Well, that certainly is interesting, but I'm pretty sure I said __**no explosions**__ last night._ Eye twitching in irritation, Naruto summoned 200 clones.

"Alright guys, form up in groups of 20." Once the clones formed rank, Naruto began handing them their assignments for the day. "Alright, first group, we need to massively improve our chakra control if we want to use the stuff from the library. I want you to do the leaf balancing exercise while you water walk."

With a quick salute, the first group headed down to the small pond near the back edge of the compound.

"Group two, practice the **henge **and **kawarimi. **Tousan's notes said that when someone's mastered a jutsu, they can start to use it without hand signs. I want the ability to use a kawarimi without seals by the end of the day. Group three, practice the c-rank jutsu we found yesterday. Group four, calligraphy. Seals don't write themselves, ya know. Group five, find every book on fuinjutsu theory in the library you can and start reading. Group six, you get to work on the gardens. Try to keep _most _of it alive. Group seven, go move everything out of the old apartment, then I want an inventory of the house. Group eight, kaasan's taijutsu scrolls, get practicing. Group nine, kenjutsu training- use the kodachi. Last but not least, group ten. One at a time, practice that exploding clone thingy. In the already provided crater!" Summoning one last clone, "You. I want you to thoroughly re-read the **Hiraishin no Jutsu **scroll. Every time one of theory clones dispels I want you to read it."

_Damn it, I forgot. _

Creating a few more clones, "You guys, rasengan work. I want to be able to use it one-handed."

Watching his clones get to work, Naruto vanished in a shunshin.

Popping in with a quick "Morning Baachan!", Naruto swiftly dodged the paperweight the soared at his head. Sadly, he didn't see the empty sake bottle that followed it.

Tsunade felt a strong easing of her spirit as she watched the jar smash her insane grand-nephew back into the wall behind him. _Ha. Doubt he'll stop calling me 'granny', but man, that felt great. _Trying to maintain a straight face as Naruto dragged himself back on his feet, Tsunade considered how to break the news. Deciding Naruto would probably just prefer it straight, she sighed.

"Alright Gaki, gonna cut straight to the chase. We don't have time for you to learn protocol, your fiancee is due today." Ignoring the sputtering and cursing her statement created she tapped her chin in thought. "There is a new problem too. Sunagakure promoted her to chunin, and you remain a genin. I can't just promote you, much as I would like to, but I have an idea." Seeing Naruto take a keen interest, she smirked, "I'll give you a week to get ready, then I want you to fight the students of Asuma, Kurenai, Gai, as well your own Team 7."

"Baachan, that's crazy" Naruto grinned. "I love it"

"Good to hear Gaki, now lets get down to the West gate. If we get there with time to spare, we can annoy Izumo and Kotetsu."

Temari was sick of riding in the carriage circumstances had forced upon her. She'd argued long and hard that she was still a chunin and she could walk, but Baki had maintained that they had to follow tradition – and traditionally, brides rode in the carriage. In addition to being extremely uncomfortable, the journey was taking twice as long as the last time she had made the trip.

Reaching over, she ran her hand along the smooth metal of her mother's war fan. _At least I was allowed to keep this_. Laying her head back against the seat, Temari focused on calming herself. Today, she would no long be a Sunagakure shinobi, but one of the Leaf, and that hurt more then she would have believed. Despite how her little brother had been treated, she loved her village and has been proud to wear the symbol of the Sand.

She was jerked out of her thoughts as Kankuro stuck his head through the window.

"Hey, Neechan. How ya doing?"

"I'm scared, little brother. I don't want to be married – especially not to a stranger from another village."

"I totally agree, Neechan," Kankuro said. "Only thing I've heard is that you're marrying into a clan, but other than that, I've got nothing."

Baki broke into the conversation.

"Looks like we're here. Seems the Hokage herself came to welcome you Temari – which is either a very good or a **very bad **sign."

Tsunade stood with her arms crossed tightly over her chest, wrinkling the red and white fabric of her formal robes of state. With her were Shizune, Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura.

Gritting her teeth in irritation, Tsunade whispered to Naruto.

"If Kakashi doesn't show in the next 30 seconds, I want you to burn all his books."

"Hai, Baachan," Naruto whispered back. "Your will shall be done"

Torn between laughing and hitting him, Tsunade eyeballed Kakashi as he wandered up to the group just as the four Sunagakure Shinobi approached. His timing meant she couldn't say anything, but the look in her eyes warned Kakashi that this conversation was not going away.

"Greetings and welcome to Konohagakure no Sato, I am Tsunade Senju, Godaime Hokage and I am most pleased to formally welcome you."

Naruto faced Temari nervously, bowed and spoke the phrase Tsunade had hammered into his head while they were waiting.

"I welcome you Temari, my water is yours and I wish you shade and safety."

Temari stared in complete shock. Not only had she **not** been expecting the traditional greeting of a Sunagakure groom to his bride, she couldn't believe this was who she was to marry. Snapping out of her reverie, Temari bowed in return.

"I greet you Naruto, I am thankful for the honor. May you always find water and may our home be blessed with shade."

She eyed him carefully – he seemed more serious than she remembered, more controlled. He had been a wild one during the exams, but now, he looked much more like the determined warrior she had seen defeat her brother.

Naruto stiffened as Gaara shuffled near. His green eyes still bore the crazed look but he seemed to have lost his murderous aura.

"Hey Gaara, how's it going?"

"Naruto Uzumaki," Gaara spoke tonelessly, "Will you protect my Neechan as one of those precious people you told me of?"

Naruto blinked, momentarily confused then gave Gaara a small, warm smile.

"I swear I will, Gaara, and I always keep my promises."

Gaara simply nodded, "Thank you, for everything."

"I'm not sure I follow all of that," Naruto said quietly. "I get thanking me for promising to take care of your Neechan, but what's everything else?"

"You showed me true strength," Gaara replied just as softly. "I have chosen to follow your path. I will protect those precious to me."

"I'm happy for you." Naruto smiled. "Has it been hard?"

"It is both harder and easier as time goes by. Ignoring the beast causes him to rage, but my mind is clearer. It's hard to describe."

"I understand." was all Naruto had to say.

Most watching were confused. Naruto had already confided in Tsunade so her grin was completely genuine, but Shizune was left wondering what the story behind this was. Temari and Kankuro knew what their brother meant, but he had not spoken to them in great detail about what had happened between him and the other Jinchuuriki. Kakashi looked interested, but masked it behind his usual apathy quickly. Sasuke was glaring at Gaara, still angry that he had not been the one to defeat him. Sakura was nervous – she would never be able to forget the images of what he had done to Lee.

"Well," Tsunade said into the quiet that had settle over the group. "I think Naruto should show Temari to their home, and I've made arrangements for the three of you in one of the hotels."

Naruto interjected, "Baachan, if it's alright, how about I take everyone with me? It's not like I don't have the room."

Eying him, Tsunade shrugged, "I suppose you can. Just remember I want you in my office tomorrow at nine. We need to swear Temari in and place her on team 7."

"I don't have an opening on my team." Kakashi said hurriedly.

"There are no open slots" Tsunade growled back, eye twitching in rage. "If you weren't always late, you would have heard me explain that an hour ago."

Secretly Tsunade had hopes that the time spent together on a team would cause the two to bond. She didn't want the little Gaki stuck in a cold, loveless marriage – it was perhaps one of the few things he would not survive. She believed Temari and Naruto could make it work, but without an extra push, might not make the effort to try on an emotional level.

Kakashi gave Tsunade one of his eye smiles.

"Well, that works but I'll need some time to evaluate her and get their teamwork up to par. Should be a busy week for us."

Naruto drooped.

"Baachan, I'm kinda occupied this week. Didn't Kakashi-sensei get the message?"

Tsunade glared at the masked jonin.

"No, because he was late. Kakashi, Naruto is training for an impromptu chunin exam Monday. He will be fighting all the members of the 'Konoha 12' with the exception of Lee."

Kakashi stared, eye wide in shock.

"Hokage-sama, that is simply insane,"

Tsunade shrugged.

"Its what the Gaki chose."

* * *

Naruto lead his fiancee and guests into the compound right as the last of the exploding cones decided to blow himself up. As much as he wanted to laugh, he found he had his hands full getting everyone to put their weapons away.

"Guys, it was just a stupid clone blowing himself up. Nothing to worry about, I swear." Once everyone settled, Naruto began a small tour. "Alright, welcome to the Namikaze-Uzumaki estate. As you can see, we've got trees, some training grounds, a giant hole in the ground, stupid freaking clones, and gardens." Eying the general destruction Naruto felt he had to add. "Ne, Temari, I sure hope you garden better than I do, cause I think my clones really screwed that up."

To her own surprise, Temari found herself agreeing. The clones had really messed things up. Looking around a bit more, Temari felt that so far, her new home wasn't to bad. She would have some privacy even if everything struck her as being a bit green. Sunagakure didn't have much opportunity for gardening, but she had maintained a flower box of herbs in her room for several years.

"I know a little gardening Naruto," she said. "You have to remember, though, I come from a desert. All this green seems really odd to me." Naruto looked a little crestfallen so she spoke quickly. "Not that it's bad. I've always wanted a big herb garden."

"Alright guys" Naruto almost yelled in excitement, "I wanna show you where you're staying tonight." Leading everyone inside, he began to point out features of the house. "Make yourselves comfortable in the sitting room – I'm not sure if everything works but you're welcome to try out the television and kotatsu. The kitchen is through there but it's not exactly stocked yet. There are plenty of rooms on the second floor so take your pick, and if you want to train the third floor is a practice room." He grabbed Temari gently by the wrist. "C'mon, I'll show you."

As she was dragged up the stair, Temari had to admit that so far things weren't as bad as she had feared. The house really needed a woman's touch but it was quite nice. She wasn't really sure what to make of her fiancé though. One moment he was hyper as hell, the next he was completely calm dealing with 4 spooked Sunagakure Shinobi, one of whom was **Gaara** for Kami's sake. Honestly, he was a puzzle.

Leading her to the bedrooms, Naruto pointed one out, "This is yours, mine is the one right next to it."

Temari was a tad confused.

"I get my own room?" She was less confused and more concerned when he turned to her with a completely blank face.

"Temari, I'm sure you're even less thrilled about this then I am. I want to get to know you better and I hope that one day we'll be happy, but now, we're practically strangers. I thought it'd be best if we learned to trust each other naturally."

Temari admitted to herself that she was impressed with is analysis of the situation He had even brought up some points she hadn't thought of. In Sunagakure, it wasn't uncommon for a husband to demand his arranged wife be in his bed the evening of their marriage, and she had expected that behavior simply because she knew arranged marriages had nothing to do with whether or not two people loved or trusted one another.

"Thank you Naruto," was her heartfelt response. _Maybe this won't be so bad after all._

Wanting to impress his guests, Naruto created a handful of clones and sent most off to read cookbooks and the rest to go grocery shopping.. With time to kill, Naruto headed to one of the restored training fields to test what his clones had learned. Raising his hand, he was pleased to see a half-formed Rasengan. _Definitely done by the end of the week_ he thought with a smirk.

Swapping places with a training dummy, he grinned. _Sealless kawarimi, check_. He still had to use the ram sign for henge, but that was at least a major improvement. Wanting to kill two birds with one stone, Naruto created clones to test both his new kenjutsu and taijutsu skills.

Both appeared to be his mother's, and even with just the days training with them, the styles felt natural. Finishing the last clone off with a particularly vicious cut that bisected the clone from groin to shoulder, he cringed. _Wow, men must have dreaded fighting Kaasan_, The first elemental jutsu his clones picked made him snort in exasperation – apparently, he really loved irony.

**Suirou no Jutsu**, the same jutsu he had to save Kakashi-sensei from when they fought Zabuza. Trapping a clone in it, Naruto had to admit, the jutsu had its uses, but he would have to see about having enough water to use it. Moving on, he tried **Daitoppa.** _This one has potential. _Watching the jutsu shred the trees he tested it on, he wondered if he had overloaded the jutsu. Rather then just blow things away, certain trees in the target area looked like they had been attacked with razors. Shrugging and filing that away for a different day, Naruto decided to test his last elemental jutsu.

Remembering his internal promise after the last time he had barbequed himself, Naruto created some clones and backed off.

**Goukakyuu no Jutsu.** _And won't the teme be ecstatic that I can use on of __**his**__ jutsu._ This time, the additional practice of the clones payed off and rather than create giant explosions, Naruto only created the smaller explosions he wanted. Satisfied with his day, Naruto barely had the energy to flop face first on his bed before he fell asleep.

The next morning found Temari waking up to the smell of something delicious. Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, she wandered down to the kitchen in her panties and a large t-shirt, forgetting that she was not back in Sunagakure. Yawning and stretching, she grunted a 'morning' to the shape at the stove. When she didn't get a response, she looked more fully at the figure making breakfast and felt herself freeze. It was Naruto, staring back with wide eyes, in just a pair of shorts. She thought the age difference would bother her, but he looked a bit older – between that and his new behavior, she could easily forget she had several years on him. _He's actually pretty cute_.

Naruto, for his part, had totally forgotten the omelet he was making as he stared at Temari. He might even owe Ero-Sennin a small apology - certainly this was worth seeing. With her hair down, sleep tousled and framing her face, Naruto came to the sudden realization that he might just have gotten a really good deal with this marriage after all. They might have continued staring at each other for a while except Kankuro had walked in and immediately burst into loud guffaws.

"Yo, Naruto, the omelet seems kinda black and smoky. Neechan, you might wanna go put on some pants before he burns down the house."

Temari glanced down and let out a girlish shriek as she ran back to her room, mercifully unaware that Naruto's gaze followed her retreat closely. Kankuro watching him, and seeing the blush on his face began to laugh until Naruto flung a kitchen knife into the wall next to his head. Raising his hands in wordless apology, he decided to help out and set the table while Naruto disposed of the charred omelet.

"Kid, she is your fiancee, you're allowed to look ya know." he said, trying hard not to laugh. He was getting a stitch beneath his ribs.

Rolling his eyes in irritation, Naruto shot back, "Gee, I'm gonna take relationship advice from the guy that wears makeup."

"It's WARPAINT! It intimidates enemies, Runt." an infuriated Kankuro responded.

"What kinda shinobi is intimidated by makeup Gitei?" Naruto mocked back.

With a completely nonplussed expression, Kankuro calmly stated, "I don't think you can actually call me that, since I'm older?"

With a foxy grin, Naruto was prepared to return fire before he was interrupted.

"Would you assholes just **shut up?**" Temari snapped as she reappeared, pulling her hair into her usual pigtails. Kankuro, knowing his sister's usual reaction to being embarrassed was able to dodge when she swung her fan at him. Naruto, however, was unaware of his danger until the large iron fan connected with his head. Slamming into the wall, a scene very reminiscent of Jiraiya and Tsunade, Kankuro began to laugh when he heard the dazed boy murmur, "Wow, I think I'm in love."

After some brief first aid, where Temari wrapped his injury while Kankuro laughed and even Gaara appeared to smile, Naruto and his guests stood in front of Tsunade in her office. Deciding it would be in everyone's best interest to gloss over the partial mummification of the groom-to-be, she approached Temari.

Nervously maintaining eye contact with the elder kunoichi, Temari barely heard what was said to her until the end, "Do you swear on the Will of Fire and your own honor allegiance to Konohagakure?"

Reaching back and undoing her Sunagakure hitai-ate, Temari calmed herself as she swore herself to her new village.

"My honor, my life, I do so pledge."

With a nod, Tsunade turned and stamped the registration sitting behind her on the desk. Pulling out a Leaf hitai-ate, she passed both items to the younger blonde.

"With that done, you should know that the wedding ceremony will be in two months. Baki, you and Temari's brothers are welcome to visit at any time. I'll be granting you travel passes when we finish here. Are there any questions?"

"Hokage-sama, what are my expected duties?" Temari asked hesitantly.

Tsunade was impressed the girl was thinking that far ahead, but was surprised that Naruto's body language had suddenly switched from passive to protective. _Well, this is a surprise, I didn't think he would understand that but apparently he does, and he wants to protect the girl. Seems the little Gaki will be just fine. _

"Neither council has pressed the issue yet, but I expect there will be pressure in the future." Tsunade replied, hedging her answer somewhat. "Until the Gaki there 'matures', you'll probably be fine. You're both young – it'll be a while before the council is concerned."

Temari nodded in understanding. At least she wasn't going to be forced to produce any children she didn't want – she hoped when the council finally came to a head about it, her relationship with Naruto would have had enough time to grow. She stiffened in shock when she felt Naruto grab her hand and gently squeeze in support. _Well, it seems he understands as well and agrees with me. Heh, I guess I really could have done a lot worse._

Neither teen noticed that everyone else in the room noticed the little byplay. Everyone in the room wanted only the best for the two, and they were relieved that things seemed to be going well so far.

"Temari, since your brothers are leaving tomorrow, why don't you go spend the day together?" Naruto offered with a warm smile.

Temari couldn't help but return the smile - such a warm heart this kid had.

"I would like that, if you're sure it's acceptable."

"Completely sure. If I had family I wasn't going to see for a while, I would want to spend what time I had with them. I'll be too busy training to spend much time with you today anyway."

"Thank you, konyakusha. We will see you at home this evening." With a bow, Temari left the office with her family.

"If you don't have anything for me Baachan, I have training I need to do." Seeing Tsunade shrug, Naruto used shunshin to poof away.

* * *

The past week had been fruitful for Naruto. Constant brawls with his clones in the trees and on the pond had drastically increased not only his chakra control, but his new taijutsu and kenjutsu styles. While far from mastered, both styles felt natural to him - he figured they were probably both at least mid-chunin but he seemed to have hit a plateau with both. _Probably need a real instructor to get better_.

Shrugging it off, he couldn't help but smile. He might not know many jutsu, but those he knew, he had mastered – or in the case of the rasengan, almost mastered. He could do it one handed now, but it still took him a few seconds more to form it then Ero-Sennin. Still, not to shabby, and the other jutsu he had down to either a single seal, or no seals. That was going to come as a shock, and the best part was the teme couldn't steal his jutsu.

Using his new understanding of basic fuinjutsu, Naruto had managed to increase his conditioning with resistance and gravity seals. Taking ruthless advantage of his healing from Fur-ball, Naruto had more or less run himself into the ground. When he had released the seals this morning to adjust, he noticed that he was probably at least twice as fast as he had been, and he hadn't really gotten to test his strength after he destroyed the first training dummy accidentally.

His attempts to use his father's jutsu had been interesting, to say the least. The first time he almost insisted on doing it himself, before his clone reminded him of the 'Great Fireball Fiasco'. _Are clones supposed to be sarcastic? _Still, he'd ended up being grateful after the first clone launched himself 300 feet in the air. _How the hell did tousan survive creating this jutsu?_ Undeterred, Naruto had continued expending clones, and soon enough, the survival rate began to succeed the deaths. Eventually, the clones were surviving every attempt and Naruto had decided it was time to try himself.

_Focusing his chakra, Naruto searched for the beacon on the kunai. Feeling a faint pull, Naruto did the internal chakra manipulations from the scroll. With a flash of yellow,__** and how the hell did I see that anyway **__he thought, Naruto found himself standing next to his target kunai. Naruto allowed himself a short childish victory dance, then settled down._

_**Time to practice.**_

Practice had reduced the time he needed to attune to a beacon, but it still took several seconds. Naruto was not about to complain though – a couple seconds to cross most any distance was not a bad trade-off. His father's notes had also answered the question he had on deploying the kunai. His peers were already frustrated with his **Kage Bunshin**, he suspected that they were really going to dislike **Shuriken Kage Bunshin** using Hiraishin kunai.

Things with Temari were going as well as he could expect. She had a bit of a temper, but unlike Sakura, she at least tried to warn him off when she was getting angry – a side effect of having a dangerous brother, perhaps? He usually missed her clues and ended up with a metal fan being smashed across his head, but they were getting better. They were beginning to become comfortable with each other, sharing stories and jokes during Naruto's infrequent breaks from training.

Temari was beginning to enjoy life in Konoha. She was surprised on her second day in the village - all the kunoichi of her generation swooped in to visit with her. Ino lead the charge, but all of them, even Tenten, wanted to get to know their new comrade.

Temari apologized, at least in regards to her excessive violence against the other kunoichi, and made it clear that it had not been personal and that she didn't want her hanging onto a grudge. All was forgiven when Tenten was allowed to handle the war fan. The other kunoichi all rolled their eyes as Tenten swung the fan around with stars in her eyes.

She felt herself smiling as she watched – it was nice to have girlfriends. Being both a kunoichi and the child of the Kazekage had put her at a distance from everyone else. In the Leaf, she was at the same level as everyone else, and she found the sensation of finally being equal surprisingly relaxing.

It had also lead to an interesting discovery – apparently, Namikaze men enjoy overbearing women. Tsunade had told her several stories of her mother-in-law and her legendary temper. She hadn't been inclined to believe it until she saw the boy she had watched beat her bother being floored by one of the weakest kunoichi from the exams. It was a revelation - her betrothed may be smarter than she had believed, but she was going to have to be the one to keep the hyper idiot in-line. Still, she was beginning to think of him as her idiot, with a small smile.

Naruto hummed to himself as he stood over the stove. He found that cooking was actually enjoyable for him and it kept Temari from poisoning him with her so-called 'food.' He snickered when he recalled the time he told Temari that her cooking was probably the reason poor Gaara had been so homicidal. The joke was still funny half an hour later as he limped into the house.

Finishing up, he called, "Temari, dinner is done."

With a flash of blonde he could have sworn was **Hiraishin no Jutsu**, Temari was seated at the table. Tomorrow being an important day, Naruto had gone all out. Using info gathered from Ino, traded for a future favor to be decided, Naruto had prepared Temari's favorites. Kenchin soup and roasted chestnuts followed by a large chocolate cake. Naruto had some fun poking fun at Temari for drooling, but quickly shut up when her eyes promised retribution.

Naruto had inadvertently discovered that shadow clones made great kitchen staff. He got to cook, and make as much of a mess as he wanted and the clones had to clean it up. Temari tried to point out that with the clones, he would still get the memories of cleaning up, but Naruto was insistent. _Best Deal Ever._

After the clones cleared the table, Naruto walked over to Temari and in a display of boldness slightly shocking both of them, kissed her check.

"I know I've been busy this week, but I wanted you to know that I'm glad you're here. Now, I need to go get some sleep, tomorrow will be a long day."

Watching him head upstairs Temari sat holding her check with a light blush. Being the daughter of a Kage, and the sister of Gaara, no one had ever kissed her before. With a smile she decided that it wasn't half bad.

* * *

**"It isn't good to hold on too hard to the past. You can't spend your whole life looking back. Not even when you can't see what lies ahead. All you can do is keep on keeping on, and try to believe that tomorrow will be what it should be—even if it isn't what you expected."  
― Jim Butcher, Death Masks **

**-Notes-**

**Getei- refers to a brother-in-law younger than the sister you are marrying. Annoying to Kankuro because he is a bit over a year old then Naruto.**

**Konyakusha- rough translation is fiancé or my betrothed.. one of those somewhat tricky ones.**

**Intellegence division Shikaku, Inoichi, Ao and the others. Doing their duty to the end. RIP o7**

**Also, poor Shikamaru and Ino.**


	4. What is Precious to Him

**Disclaimer: Its troublesome, but I don't own Naruto.**

**Chapter now edited by So Said the Dragon. 4/7/13  
**

**Updated AN on 3/23/13 in response to a review. I'd scrapped the original plan anyway, but still had the whole "other two women" thing in the AN. Decided to go back and fix it to better reflect on the current flow of the story.**

**First things first, I received permission from Kenchi618 to use his bad ass impromptu chunin exam from The Sealed Kunai. Also, I've decided on a small harem element to the story. The basis for this will be that the Uzumaki Clan practiced polygamy but in the manner of the Grayson's from David Weber's Honor Harrington series. (If you haven't read it, buy them, all of them and read them. They are great) What I mean by this is that he will be limited to 3 wives. At present I only have one other I plan to pair with Naruto and that will be driven by politics as well. I'm sorry NaruHina fans but as much as I like her, Hinata will not be with Naruto. She is a nice, kind, sweet girl who loves him, but she lacks the FORCE necessary to keep our favorite knucklehead inline. Wow, wordy ramblings there, but anyways, on with the story.**

_**"If I need you I'll give you a signal.'**_  
_**What signal?"**_  
_**I'll imitate the scream of a terrified little girl" **_  
_** ― Jim Butcher**_

Temari was bored - and irritated - but mostly bored. She had thought that watching her future husband fight his friends would be more entertaining but with a few exceptions the fights had been extremely one-sided so far. First up had been that pink haired twit her soon to be husband was so enamored with. The fight itself was just pathetic, but as much as she despised weak kunoichi, that wasn't what had her blood boiling.

Naruto stood facing his longtime crush as she entered the area battleground. Watching her, he found himself confused - why was she walking so timidly? Her head hung down, hair blocking her eyes, every step seemingly forced. This wasn't what he expected from Sakura-chan. She was supposed to be confident and strong.

Breaking from his musings, he slid into his fighting stance when Sakura arrived. She didn't match him though, just stood there stood there fidgeting nervously.

"Ne, Sakura-chan, whats the problem?" he called out.

Sakura flinched a bit as the loud voice of her teammate intruded on her thoughts. Without raising her head, she spoke, almost a whisper.

"Naruto, I'm sorry. I never thanked you for saving me." With a bitter laugh she pressed on. "Any of the times you saved me I guess. Against Zabuza, the Exams, and then with Gaara." The girl began hugging herself firmly as if she were trying to hold back an explosion. "You keep saving me, and I just blow it off." Beginning to cry she forced herself to continue. "I suppose I'm just jealous. When our team formed, I thought I was strong, or at least stronger than you. Turns out I was wrong huh?"

Naruto was so shocked he dropped out of his stance. He sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck as his thoughts flashed back over the events as he tried to figure out what was wrong with Sakura. With a mental shrug he decided to just wing it. He didn't really understand girls in general and Sakura was kinda strange even then

"Sakura-chan," he said pleasantly "I need you to look at me" When the girl hesitantly met his gaze, he mentally winced at the amount of pain he saw in her eyes. Letting his mask down, he gave his teammate a true smile. "Sakura-chan, I accept your apology and your thanks but that isn't why I did it." He raised his face to the sky in remembrance as he continued. "When we were in Wave, Haku taught me that someone is only truly strong when they protect something precious to them." Lowering his gaze back to he girl, he smiled again. "You are not weak Sakura-chan, you just haven't found something to be truly strong for yet. You can come train with me at my estate if you want but you will only get stronger if you truly work for it. Still, judging from the way Crazy Snake Lady over there is twitching we should start this match before she molests me again."

The final comment was too much for Sakura and she roared with laughter remembering what Anko had done before the second exam.

Temari gritted her teeth in irritation. _Stupid, weak fan girl, wannabe kunoichi. Why the HELL is he so stuck on that pink haired.. argghhh. Why do I CARE!_ Deciding she didn't really want to continue thinking about it, Temari went back to musing over the matches.

Naruto hadn't humiliated the stupid pink menace, but it was obvious to every shinobi in the audience that he had held back. The next match was more exciting – that weapons girl wasn't so bad. Temari had crushed her in battle only because she was able to blow away all of her attacks. Once Naruto got in close, however, it was over.

The next match had caused Temari to both laugh and palm her face. Shikamaru was possibly the laziest person she had ever met, but he was skilled. Too bad for him that Naruto was simply unpredictable had refused to play along with the stall tactics. At the beginning of the match, Shikamaru had caught him with his **Kagemane** and in response Naruto had created a few dozen **Kage Bunshin** without using any seals, something that had cause a collective gasp of disbelief in the audience, and ordered them to take Shikamaru out. Shikamaru's response was fairly typical – he muttered "how troublesome" and gave up. Not surprising to anyone that knew him but what irked Temari was that in her match, she had gotten tied up playing along with the shadow user's little game instead of just overpowering him.

Temari had to save the dog boy in the next match.

Something in the prematch banter had caused Naruto to fix a maniacal smile on his face as he pulled out a kunai and began wrapping an exploding tag around it. Blanching at the memory of what he had done to her brother, Temari whipped her fan out and floated to the arena floor. Landing between the mutt and her betrothed Temari placed her hands on her hips and said one word.

"No!"

"Ahh come on Temari-chan" Naruto whined.

"No, you are not going to use that technique EVER again."

Pouting, Naruto put the kunai up after stripping off the exploding tag.

Satisfied, Temari turned to leave, only to be stopped by Anko.

"You know, you aren't supposed to be down here."

Arching an eyebrow at her, Temari continued to leave.

"I was saving dog boy from a fate worse than death you know. I **know** what he was gonna do with that and I never want to see it again."

"Oh" Anko replied with her trademark insane grin, "What was he gonna do?"

With a shudder, Temari replayed the events of Gaara's fight with Naruto in her head.

"He was gonna shove that Kunai up the mutt's butt. Something about 1000 years of pain and Kakashi-sensei's teachings or something. I'm still trying to forget it."

In the stands, Kakashi tried to hide behind his book as he felt everyone turn and face him.

"What? I used it as a joke during his genin exam." he said defensively. "I didn't think he would actually use it on someone, let alone with an exploding tag."

Denied the use of the 1000 years of pain, Naruto had simply thrashed the bog boy after he had tricked Akamaru into playing catch over in a corner with a **Kage Bunshin.** The match after was boring, the tubby kid tried to flatten Naruto and had been blown away with a wind jutsu then beaten down by **Kage Bunshin.** The quiet bug kid had been next, but had forfeited when Naruto had summoned several toads. Temari hadn't heard all the conversation between the two but caught Naruto apologizing and something about Shino being to dangerous to take head on.

Shaking her head, Temari glanced at the woman sitting next to her. She was still trying to come to terms with the fact that she was sitting next to _the _Lady Tsunade! She wasn't blind, she could see that the woman had some problems, but she was sitting next to the most powerful kunoichi in the Elemental Lands - and to make it even more surreal the woman viewed her as her daughter-in-law. Temari was amazed to learn that Tsunade viewed Naruto as something like a cross between son and grandson. She had been extremely alarmed when threatened by the older woman about what she would do if Temari ever hurt her new husband. She shuddered as she remembered the boulder that had "accidentally" exploded.

Turning back to the current fight, Temari sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose to fight back what she believed to be the beginning of a migraine. Who the hell actually gives their opponent a pep talk in the middle of a fight? Sure, he was fighting that weird Hyuga girl who had a crush on him (not that he seemed to notice) but still, a pep talk? _I suppose it's a good thing he is so oblivious to it. The last thing I need is competition. I mean, it is a political marriage, and we aren't __**expected **__to be happy, but if he gets it in his head he can have an affair, it'll destroy everything. He doesn't exactly seem the type, but a lot of people don't._

Temari was pulled from her thoughts as she watched Naruto play **Bunshin Daibakuha** pong with his next opponent. Poor Neji was using his **Kaiten** repeatedly, but eventually he ran out of chakra and was blown into the air. Naruto being Naruto though, caught him as he fell and carefully laid him on the ground.

"Sorry Neji, but after our last fight, I doubted you would hold back and you're way better at taijutsu then I am."

With a groan, Neji placed an arm over his eyes as he waited for the mednin to arrive.

"I understand Naruto-san, but that was a most unpleasant experience. You should know that I am looking forward to a rematch in the future." Neji had a small smirk. "Preferably without explosive clones please."

Naruto noticed Gai and Lee arriving and a truly wicked smile appeared on his face, " Its a shame Neji, it seems that you might require more youth for our rematch."

As Gai and Lee began their usual youth rants and declared that they would "stoke Neji's youthful flames" Naruto broke down and laughed at the sheer horror on Neji's face. Ignoring the caustic glare being sent his way, Naruto decided to rub a bit more salt into the wound.

"Have a youthful recovery Neji!" he cheered. He was totally floored when the ever stoic, unflappable Neji flipped him the bird.

Naruto's blood began to boil as Sasuke strolled across the arena floor to the cheers of the civilians of the crowd. _Yes,yes _Naruto thought viciously, _"the Last Loyal Uchiha" has come to beat the demon boy. Not happening._

Sasuke, for his part, was more excited than he had been for some time. He was finally getting his fight with the dobe. He wasn't sure when he had begun to view Naruto as his rival, but rival he was. Now he had another reason to be interested in Naruto – _that man_ was after him, and sooner or later, he would be able to take his revenge.

"Dobe, you ready?"

"Absolutely Teme, absolutely!"

Anko turned to face the crowd, "Ninth Match Uzumaki Naruto vs Uchiha Sasuke! Hajiame!

The boys rushed forward in a flurry of taijutsu. Naruto dodged the first punch only to be caught by the backhand counter. Shrugging off the blow, he spun and drove his elbow into Sasuke's stomach, following through with a vicious wheel kick that knocked Sasuke back several feet. For several minutes the two stalemated, Sasuke's superior skill countered by Naruto's ability to shrug off the pain long enough to land punishing blows

Sasuke was getting frustrated - he couldn't copy Naruto's style because there were no set patterns. No set patterns also meant the he couldn't predict what attack would be coming. It wasn't prefect, but he could see some of the attacks shortly before they landed, yet somehow or another the Dobe had learned a style that seemed to just _flow_. He also had to deal with the fact that Naruto was forcing counterattacks straight through his defense, and the body shots were starting to wear him down.

Jumping back, he flashed through the seals **Katon: Gaukakyu no Jutsu.**

Naruto sighed as the fireball flew towards his head. Hurriedly raising his hand to his mouth in the Tiger seal he spat out an even larger fireball then the one that was incoming. The two fireballs collided in a massive explosion forcing both boys to **Kawarimi **to avoid being roasted.

"**Dobe**! What the **hell** was that?" Sasuke roared! "How the hell are you so proficient at using a Uchiha Katon Jutsu?"

"Its easy Teme. A truly mastered Jutsu requires far fewer seals. There are some jutsu that when mastered need no seals to use. As for how I know Gaukakyu, I've seen you use it, and figured it out on my own." Seeing the infuriated expression on Sasuke's face he smirked. "What's the matter Teme? You don't like people copying you?"

Far to angry to realize he was being baited, Sasuke rushed forward to pound the dobe into the ground, only to find himself surrounded by several dozen black and orange clad shinobi. The clones followed in their creator's footsteps and landed several powerful body shots that left him exhausted and struggling to breathe.

"Hey Teme, check this out **Kunai Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"** He snapped his head up and to his horror he saw literally thousands of strange three-pronged kunai headed in his direction. Whipping out a kunai, he dodged and deflected as many as he could, and to his relief most of the massive barrage missed him, lodging themselves into the ground around him.

"Tch, Dobe, your aim sucks."

"Oh, you think so Teme? I think they went exactly where I wanted them."

With a vicious smirk Naruto disappeared in a golden flash. Ignoring the gasps of shock from the crowd, Sasuke scanned around trying to find the dobe, but was more than a little shocked when a powerful kick slammed into him from his blindside. Spinning around to retaliate, he blinked as Naruto disappeared in yet another yellow flash. Confidently he spun around to block the attack he expected at his back, only to once again be knocked to the ground by a strike from behind.

"Damn you, Dobe! How the hell are you doing this?"

"Well Teme, when a S class shinobi marries a S class kunoichi and they do a special little dance, nine months later the magic chakra stork delivers them a baby."

In the stands, Temari and Tsunade exchanged pained glances and emitted near identical groans. Speaking to the younger kunoichi, Tsunade was nearly dripping sarcasm.

"Hopefully he is just trying to irritate Sasuke, but I wouldn't bet against him actually believing that." At Temari's look of disbelief she continued, "Well, I really doubt anyone actually explained to him where children come from you know."

"Ah. He's so well adjusted I sometimes forget about his past. I wasn't expecting to see him use **Hiraishin no Jutsu,** though. You think he is trying to make a statement to those idiots screaming for his blood?"

Turning back to the match with a small amused smile, Tsunade simply replied, "Probably."

Back on the battleground, Naruto was finishing up his rather bizarre speech.

"And that Teme is the reason that Ramen is the food of the gods!"

Blinking, Sasuke stared at his rival with complete and utter disbelief.

"Dobe, there are so many things wrong with you, I just don't know where to start. But you never answered my damn question!"

With a patronizing air Naruto decided to enlighten his teammate, "Sasuke, my father was the Yondaime, otherwise known as the Yellow Flash. Now that I have people and things to protect and no one sabotaging me, I can stop hiding my abilities. Did you think I wouldn't use a family jutsu against you?"

Sasuke's rage boiled over. _**Damn it, damn it, damn it!**__ Why is he the one that has that power? I __**need**__ it, not him._

**_Yes Sasuke, you need power, _**another voice whispered to him. **_Use the power, destroy your foes, become invincible._**

Naruto backed off when Sasuke exploded with a foul chakra as the curse mark spread across the boy's body.

"Aw come on Sasuke, who the hell uses something an S class criminal implants on their body." He complained. Faster than Anko could stop him, Sasuke raced forward, chidori cracking in hand. "Fine, be that way Teme." Naruto used **Kawarimi **to swap places with a clone right as Sasuke rammed the chidori through his chest. "Hey Teme, **Bunshin Daibakuha!"**

Most of the audience was horrified when Sasuke was seen after his encounter with the explosive clone. His left arm was partially torn from his body, his face and chest covered in burns and shrapnel holes.

With a low whistle at the damage Anko stepped forward, "Shousa, Uzumaki Naruto" As the medics rushed in she whispered to Naruto. "You think that was a bit much there Gaki?"

An extremely cold expression crossed Naruto's face as he answered. "Anko, he just tried to ram an assassination jutsu through my chest. If I hadn't swapped with that clone, I would be dead. So no, I really **don't** think that was too much."

Nodding her agreement Anko glanced up at the Hokage only to find the woman on the arena floor facing Naruto with a very serious expression on her face.

Holding up his hands to ward her off momentarily Naruto began to explain.

"Baa-Chan, he just tried to kill me! I think I was perfectly justified blowing him up."

With a sigh, Tsunade pinched the bridge of her nose, "Was there any other way you could have stopped him? Or failing that, used **Hiraishin** to get out-of-the-way?"

"No," Naruto responded, arms crossing his chest, "I barely had time to Kawarimi. I just learned Hiraishin, so it still takes me a few seconds to lock on to a seal. I stepped down the power of the explosion but when the clone detonated he had his arm shoved through its chest. For what it's worth, I'm sorry Baa-Chan, but I'd do it again."

"Damn the paperwork is gonna suck for this one." With a dismissive wave Tsunade used a leaf shunshin to return to the Hokage's box.

"Hmm, last fight Gaki, doubt you'll have to much of a problem here though." Anko said as she watched Ino walk up.

"Naruto!" the loud blonde yelled. "How dare you hurt Sasuke-kun like that!"

With a sigh Naruto faced her, "Ino, last time I'm explaining this. I barely had time to kawarimi with that clone, and he rammed an **assassination** jutsu into what he thought was my chest. If I hadn't gotten out-of the way, I would be **dead**, and I really don't want to be dead. I stepped down the explosive power of the clone, but once again, his arm was in what he thought was **my chest!**"

Realizing he was starting to rant, the blond paused only to be surprised when Ino chimed in.

"Yeah, I get it" she said with a long sigh. At the look of disbelief on both Naruto and Anko's faces, she raised her voice in irritation. "Look, just because I **like **him doesn't mean that makes it okay for him to try and kill his teammate. I'm an heir to a shinobi clan I understand this things ya know."

Grabbing her ponytail in irritation Ino stopped her rant when she saw Naruto staring at her cross-eyed.

"Gomen, Ino-san" Naruto spoke formally, for him anyway. "I was simply expecting you to be furious with me. Gomen again."

Releasing her ponytail from her death-grip, Ino sighed, "Gomen Naruto, I suppose I should have known you would expect me to snap."

"At the risk of making you snap, I would recommend you forfeit this match. You can't beat me physically and I'm pretty sure you've been told to never use your clan techniques on me."

Ino snorted, "Yeah right, like I'm just gonna give up. Even Billboard Brow fought you, so I am too."

"Hajiame!"'

Jumping back, Naruto barely had time to curse when he heard "**Shintenshin no Jutsu**". Nearly every shinobi in the audience had to resist the urge to face-palm, and Ino's father Inoichi was damn near having a panic attack. Naruto looked at the collapsed form of Ino and frowned.

"Seriously?" He asked in shock. "After just being told **not** to do it, she went and did it anyway?" He seemed to lose focus for a second before he groaned and turned to Anko. "Call the match so I can go save her please, the fuzzball is laughing and that just can't be good."

"Shousa, Uzumaki Naruto"

Hurriedly dropping to the ground, Naruto entered his mindscape as Inoichi tried to reach inside his daughter's mind. The combination of all three jutsu was too much for his mental barriers, and his thoughts began to display themselves on the nearest surface – the wall of the stadium.

Rushing through the sewer towards the cage holding Kyubi, Naruto cursed under his breath when he heard Ino scream followed by laughter from his prisoner. When the cage came into view, it was all he could do to not rip his hair out in frustration. Ino was in the cage. **Ino **was in the** cage, **with the** Fox.** This was not good on _several _levels. Currently, the Fox was amusing himself by suspending the poor girl with his tails, snapping his jaws at her. Noticing Naruto's arrival, the Fox turned and gave him a truly terrifying smile.

"**Well, well the Warden comes to visit his prisoner. I should thank you for this delightful morsel here. I haven't had this much fun in...hmm, I'd say 13 years."**

Cautiously moving forward Naruto forced himself to speak calmly, "Let her go Fox. You know things will end badly if you kill her."

"**Oh please," **the Fox replied, rolling his eyes. "**I see what happens you know. The morsel was warned but didn't listen." **Snapping his jaws at Ino again, the Fox laughed. "**I should just eat her but these screams are just … invigorating."**

Naruto carefully eyed the distance between Ino and the bars and considered ways to get the terrified girl clear. Slowly a plan formed - a suicidal plan but when dealing with Kyubi, there really wasn't much else he could do. Charging a rasengan, Naruto darted towards the bars. As he drew closer, the Fox moved to face him, dropping Ino. As fast as possible, Naruto used Kawarimi, swapping places with her. _OK, that is part one completed - get Ino out of the cage. Now for the really hard part, _He gulped when the Fox turned to him with a sinister grin. _Getting out of this cage alive._

Realizing he had seconds at best before he was eaten, Naruto zipped forward and slammed the rasengan into the Fox's paw, trying to buy time. Sadly, Kyubi didn't react the way he had hoped, rather than drawback even momentarily from the pain, the Fox simply used the same paw to slap Naruto away. Slamming into the bars in pain, Naruto damn near didn't connect the dots in time. _The BARS! Hahaha, take that Fox!_ he cheered in his head as he dove back out into the sewer barely ahead of what could truly be considered the Jaws of Death.

"Haha, take that you stupid fur-ball!" he taunted. "I got her out fuzzball!" Naruto walked over to the traumatized girl, he knelt and gently shook her shoulder. "Ne, Ino-chan, you're safe now, calm down."

Slowly, Ino focused her eyes and before Naruto could react the girl glomped him so hard he could barely breath.

"Thankyouthankyouthankyouthan kyou" she hysterically spat out. She began to cry into his shoulder, "I was so scared. I thought I was going to die."

Not really sure what to do, Naruto sort of just patted her back and stroked her hair in an attempt to calm her. "Shhh, you're okay, it'll be alright. Just calm down okay?" Seeing her regain a semblance of calm, he backed up a bit. "Ino, now that you aren't trapped in there with the giant walking carpet, can you release your jutsu please? I'm pretty sure your dad is freaking out and I'd really like to get outta here myself."

Nodding Ino concentrated, then frowned at him. "I can't." She said flatly. "I've tried to release but something is blocking my exit."

As the Kyubi started laughing behind him, Naruto palmed his face in irritation. Mumbling under his breath about giant pain in the ass fox's of freaking doom annoying the living shit out of him, Naruto turned to face his prisoner. The rather terrifying grin, _wow, those are some really big teeth,_ being bestowed upon him was not calming at all.

"Let her go Fox" he managed to grind out through his clenched teeth.

"**I don't think so ningen" **Kyubi sneered. "**I'm rather curious how long her body will survive with her soul stuck in here. It should be highly entertaining."**

Stifling a curse, Naruto asked Ino the first thing on his mind.

"Is he serious? Your technique sent your **soul** into my body? That's just nuts."

Crossing her arms, Ino managed to somehow pull off a haughty look.

"Of course it does baka. How else would you be able to take over someone else's body?"

"Fantastic," he muttered glaring at the highly amused Fox. "Ino-chan, how long can you survive in here anyway?"

She hesitated in her response, "I, well I really don't know. The longest I've ever heard of was my dad spending a bit over a day during an interrogation, but he said that it took a lot out of him when he did." Pouting, she refused to look up at the Fox, "I'm not as strong with this skill as my dad yet, and I don't think he was tortured by a terrifying creature living in the guy's head. Speaking of, Naruto, what the hell is that thing?"

With a resigned sigh Naruto waved a hand vaguely in the direction of the cage.

"Ino-chan, meet Kyubi, Kyubi let her go right fucking now!" Watching the fox simply lay down and laugh at him, Naruto launched a barrage of insults at his least favorite furry creature as Ino simply stared at him in shock.

Not a stupid girl by any means, Ino quickly placed all the pieces of the puzzle in place and blurted out. "Your father didn't kill it? Oh sweet kami, he sealed it into you!"

Naruto jerked around in shock, he really hadn't been expecting Ino to yell right behind him, let alone figure out what had happened so fast.

"Yeah," he responded despondently. "My father sealed fuzzball here into me to save the village. Supposedly he tried to have people see me as a hero by holding the stupid thing prisoner but most the civilians thought I **was** the damn thing and most the Shinobi kept their distance cause most Jinchuriki are not terribly stable. A really good example would be Gaara before I beat him during the invasion. Anyway, enough about that, we have to get you out of here."

"Alright Fox, what do you want to let her leave?"

"**Take the seal off!"**

"Not happening bunny ears, try again."

"**Why should I care? The only thing I want is that damn seal your father stuck on me off. You have ****_nothing_**** else I could want, you pathetic mortal fool."**

"Heh, you think I'm stupid don't you Fox? I know what you're afraid of. We both know you could have killed me when I was in the cage but my father's seal means that if I die, you die too, doesn't it?" Naruto shot the Fox the fiercest glare he could muster, which really wasn't bad if it wasn't directed at something other than the Kyubi no Kitsune, and turned to Ino. "Ino-chan, I'm about to do something really, incredibly stupid but it should allow you to get out. When you feel that hold on your jutsu loosen, get the hell out of here okay?"

Ignoring her questions about what he was doing, he turned back to the Fox as he drew his kodachi. _Heh, I so wanted to be Hokage, but I suppose this is as far as I go. At least I'm taking this jackass with me_. Placing the tip of the kodachi against his stomach, Naruto called out in an almost sing-song manner.

"Last chance Teme! let her go!"

Scoffing Kyubi barely bothered to look up, **"You wouldn't dare ningen. Maybe if it was that pink haired tramp you drool after, but you have no ties to this one. Do your worst."**

Laughing Naruto called out, "You really don't know me as well as you think you do, Fox. Yes, she isn't really a friend but she is my comrade, a fellow Leaf ninja, and as such, she is precious to me."

Without saying anything else, Naruto rammed the kodachi through his stomach, Kyubi roared in anger and the figure of Ino disappeared from his mind.

* * *

**"We are not going to die."**

Butters stared up at me, pale, his eyes terrified. "We're not?"

No. And do you know why?" He shook his head. "Because Thomas is too pretty to die. And because I'm too stubborn to die." I hauled on the shirt even harder. "And most of all because tomorrow is Oktoberfest, Butters, and polka will never die."  
― Jim Butcher, _ Dead Beat _

**AN**

**Sorry, been awhile I know, but I was lost on the road of life. Hopefully this chapter didn't bore you guys, I figured I would cut out the less important fights and give fairly brief descriptions of the harder ones.**


	5. Of Foxes and Meltdowns

**Disclaimer: Still don't own Naruto... but it would be cool.**

_**Now beta'd by So Said the Dragon! Fwoosh!**_

_**"But there were some things I believed in. Some things I had faith in. And faith isn't about perfect attendance to services, or how much money you put on the little plate. It isn't about going skyclad to the Holy Rites, or meditating each day upon the divine.**_  
_** Faith is about what you do. It's about aspiring to be better and nobler and kinder than you are. It's about making sacrifices for the good of others - even when there's not going to be anyone telling you what a hero you are." **_  
_** ― Jim Butcher, Changes **_

Naruto awoke with a groan, _Ugh, where the, oh, white walls, bright lights, I hate hospitals._

It took some effort but he managed to sit up and promptly blinked in confusion when he saw Ino and Temari sleeping in the chairs next to his bed. He understood why Temari was here, she was his fiancee after all but what in hell was Ino doing there? He stifled a snort when he saw a thin line of drool on the normally fashion conscious girl. _Ha, I wish I had a camera, I bet Sakura-chan would love a picture of this._

Moving quietly, he found his clothes, and prepared one of his best jutsu, **Ninpo: Hospital Escape no Jutsu** – which was a very high-level move that involved him and an open window. Sadly, people who know him were prepared and even as he jumped out the window, he found himself snagged by the collar and dragged back into the room.

"Ne, come on Kakashi-sensei, I hate this place. Let me go pweeease?" He said, attempting to use the dreaded puppy eyes no jutsu on his sensei.

"Maa maa Naruto, sorry. Hokage-sama threatened to burn my books if I let you get away." The lazy jonin replied without taking his eyes from his book. Glancing up at the sleeping girls, he turned one of his infamous eye-smiles on Naruto.

"I'm so proud of you, my little adorable little genin. Two girls sleeping in your hospital room. I almost feel tears of pride forming."

Flushing in embarrassment Naruto retorted hotly.

"Its not like that Sensei. I know why Temari is here, I mean we're getting married, but I have no idea why she's here." He pointed at Ino. Quieting down, he asked the two questions burning through his head. "Sensei, how long have I been out? And what happened with Teme?"

Kakashi stalled for time, carefully placing his book away.

"Well, the first question is easy to answer Naruto. You've been unconscious for four days." Chuckling a bit at Naruto's groan, he paused and decided to answer the last question. "As for Sasuke, they managed to keep him alive, and they even reattached his arm but they don't think he'll ever fully recover." Sighing he got to the worst part. "Naruto, Sasuke will never be return to active duty as a shinobi."

Hearing the words, Naruto wasn't really shocked. He had seen Sasuke's arm blown off, but it still hurt. Sasuke was his teammate and **he**, no one else, had destroyed a talented shinobi and ruined his friends dreams.

"Can't Baa-Chan fix him? She fixed Bushy Brows right? That was way worse." The words just spilled from his mouth.

Eying his student, Kakashi decided that, while painful, he needed to tell Naruto the full truth before he convinced himself that he was to blame for what happened.

"Naruto, even if he still had full use of his arm, Sasuke would have been pulled from the ranks." Ignoring the look of shock on Naruto's face, Kakashi pressed on. "The containment seal placed over Hebi-teme's curse seal, and I do like that name by the way, was reliant on Sasuke's will. He willingly broke it and drew on the power of the curse seal, directly against orders. In addition to that, he used an assassination jutsu on a fellow Leaf nin in a friendly match. Hokage-sama has ruled that we can not afford to have such a loose cannon." Shrugging, Kakashi placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder, "It wasn't your fault Naruto."

Shrugging the hand of his shoulder, Naruto stalked back over to his bed and sat down. He understood what Kakashi said, but he still felt guilt burning at him. Sasuke being removed as a shinobi as a result of his own behavior eased some of his burden, but it felt as if it was his fault for pushing him that far. If Naruto had not started their rivalry, Sasuke would have never felt the need to use the seal on him.

He was pulled from his thoughts by a squeal, and suddenly found himself on the floor as he was tackled by a blonde blur.

"Hey, you're awake! That's awesome! Datteboyo!" He froze in shock as Ino continued to hold him, and he vaguely noticed that Kakashi seemed far more amused then surprised.

_Datteboyo? What the __**hell**__? _

"I was so worried you weren't going to wake up, datteboyo!" the blonde rambled on. With another squeal, Naruto found himself being shaken, "Don't ever do something like that again, datteboyo!"

Prying the overexcited girl off, Naruto found himself wondering exactly what sort of hell he had found himself in. His feeling of doom increased when he noticed that Temari was also awake and staring at Ino in a rather frightening manner. He began to panic as he tried to think up some sort of explanation for what was going on, but he was drawing a blank. It was like some sort of dream. _Wait a minute, a dream, or a genjutsu?_

Forming the seal, Naruto attempted to disperse what he was convinced had to be a genjutsu.

"Kai!" he yelled forcing an almost visible wave of chakra across the room. To his surprise nothing changed - except for the fact that Kakashi started laughing so hard tears formed in his eye and Ino looked rather insulted.

"Alright" He yelled, pointing at Ino "What in hell is going on here?"

Ino looked sheepish, placing her hand to the back of her neck and shot Naruto what looked a lot like his 'foxy grin' - minus the whisker marks.

"Ano, its complicated Naruto, but there were some side effects to when I was stuck in your mind." Correctly interpreting his current facial expression to read 'continue before I do something you won't like', the girl continued her story. "When you stabbed yourself - and I can't believe you did that - I was able to release the jutsu, but the Fox hit me in a last ditch effort, and I was thrown through all of your memories."

Naruto stared at her, horrified. Hastily, she continued trying to explain.

"Yes, it was really unpleasant. I never would have dreamed what you went through but it beat being eaten by the fur-ball datteboyo! As a result of that, according to my dad, your personality was sort of merged with my own. Dad says it won't last all that long. My personality is becoming more and more dominant every day, but for now, I'm still showing some of your more irritating quirks."

Without saying anything Naruto lay back on the bed and pulled the blankets up over his head.

"Somebody wake me when the nightmare ends please."

"Hey! That was rude datteboyo!"

A sudden thought struck Naruto like a bolt of lighting and he shot up in the bed, leaning over to whisper in Ino's ear.

"You have _all_ my memories?"

"Hai, I do." Ino whispered back. "And why are we whispering?"

"All of them? Everything I've ever done?"

"Hai hai, EVERYTHING!" Ino smirked "I can't believe some of the stuff you got away with but now I understand why Temari-chan," with a frown she paused and considered, "I mean Temari-san, stepped in to stop you during the match with Kiba."

Naruto flushed a deep red and lay back down.

"Okay, I think I'm gonna sleep now." _Hopefully when I wake up, this will have just been a nightmare._

* * *

It was several hours later when Naruto woke as door to his room opened. He sat up and cleared some of the sleep from his eyes.

"Hiya Baa-Chan, come to spring me?"

Ignoring the urge to strangle him, Tsunade smirked back at him.

"Yeah Gaki. You should be able to return home soon, but there some things we have to-." She was cut off by an excited yell of "YATTA!" - easily remedied by a quick 'tap' to his head.

Ignoring the somewhat glazed look, Tsunade rapidly checked his health. She wasn't really sure why she bothered. She passed it off as the professional mednin in her, but as usual, the Gaki was in perfect health, except for a mild concussion that would clear on its own.

"Alright Gaki, I heard from Cyclops that you know what happened to Ino and Sasuke but there are several things they didn't tell you. First, there was an issue caused by an overload of similar jutsu, which caused everything to be displayed to the audience."

Seeing the panic in his eyes, she ruffled his hair.

"Yes, that means everyone knows everything. Your parents, your burden and what you did at the end. I'm proud of you Naruto, but I'm also angry with you. You are supposed to be Hokage after me aren't you?" Ignoring the boy's protests she found her volume increasing to almost a yell in spite of her restraint. "You took the most self sacrificing option you had and didn't even bother to search for any other way to accomplish your goals! Damn it, Naruto, I almost lost you! Again!"

She wasn't sure when she started to cry, but before she knew it she was and Naruto was attempting to comfort her.

"Baa-Chan, I know it was bad, but I really didn't see another option. I couldn't let Ino die because of the fox, and we both know he doesn't want to die. It was painful, but I stabbed myself in the stomach because it wouldn't be fatal. I figured that as soon as Ino was out, you would be able to heal me. And you did, so everything worked out."

Wiping her tears, Tsunade stood up.

"Alright Gaki, get moving. And I'd talk to Temari – she's been worried about you."

Waving distractedly at her, Naruto began to walk out the door before he stopped and viciously smacked himself.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid." He muttered under his breath.

"Eh, whats bugging you Gaki?" Tsunade queried.

"Well, when I tried to escape this hellhole - I mean when I tried to leave the hospital earlier, I totally forgot that I have H-seals all over my home." Shrugging, he focused on the tag in his living room and smirked. "Ahh taste the freedom, Baa-Chan! I'm free!"

When he reappeared, Naruto felt that he may have jumped straight out of the frying pan and into the fire. Annoying Baa-Chan was fun, if somewhat dangerous, but he hadn't thought when he flashed to his living room that he would end up in the middle of what seemed to be a kunoichi convention.

_Wait, why are there here? __**And why are they so angry?**_ Feeling massively outnumbered, not that it intimidated him he told himself firmly, he focused on the H-seal in the study and called out "If you need me, I'll be in my study" before he flashed away. Before the assembled women could say anything, he flashed back.

"Ah, almost forgot, when you are finished with our guests, I need to speak with you Temari-chan."

FLashing back to the study, Naruto let out a sigh of relief at having survived two trips into the kunoichi group.

Naruto's surprise entrance had been a blessing for Temari. Ever since she had arrived at her home, with Ino following her like a lost puppy, she had been swarmed by all the kunoichi that seemed to know Naruto. As the daughter of a Kage, hospitality had been drilled into her from early childhood but as the day went on, she felt like ripping her ponytails off in sheer frustration.

She had been pleased that Ino decided to wait for Naruto with her – they need a to talk privately, anyway, the sooner the better. Shortly before they had arrived, they were ambushed by Tenten and a surprisingly forward Hinata, both of whom were concerned about Naruto's heath, and surprisingly, with Temari's well being.

It kept escalating from there.

Kurenai and Anko had crossed their path and decided to tag along, feeling it was their duty as older kunoichi to make sure the younger generation was doing well. Shizune and Sakura seemed to materialize somewhere along the way, and completely monopolized the conversation.

She was surprised to find a small army of foxes milling about her yard but surprise quickly morphed into acceptance. Life with Naruto had been like moving from one bizarre event to the next. She frowned as the foxes bowed respectfully as she passed, like she was a queen, and she hurried to get everyone inside.

Being inside wasn't much better. She was immediately bombarded with questions. What were the wedding plans? Was Naruto treating her right? Was she happy? Did she miss Sunagakure? What was going on with all of the foxes? It was enough to drive a saint insane and Temari had been very, very close to grabbing her fan and dispensing some pain when Naruto arrived.

Shooing the women out of the house was difficult but eventually she managed to get rid of almost everyone – pointedly sending Ino into the kitchen to make ramen and wait. She needed to talk to Naruto, but after that stunt in the hospital, she also really needed to murder er, talk to her.

Entering the study, Temari found Naruto lost in thought as he stared out the window at the fox covered grounds. Unless she was very much mistaken, the look on his face indicated he was both amused and annoyed. Silently crossing over to him, she placed her hand on his shoulder and was surprised and pleased when he absently reached up and began to gently stroke her hand. It was the first truly intimate contact they had, and it made her stomach flutter pleasantly.

"Ne, Temari-chan," he spoke quietly, so as not to ruin the peaceful aura. "You know anything about why our grounds are covered by foxes?"

"I thought you knew. They were here when I came back from the hospital. It was odd though, when I passed by several of them, they bowed to me."

"Huh. I probably ought to figure out what's going on, then. Got something to keep you busy in the mean time?"

Temari scowled.

"Yeah, I still have to have a chat with Ino. I have her stashed downstairs."

With a sigh, Naruto stood up, giving her once last pat on the hand.

"Please be nice. If she really did absorb my memories, I'm amazed she didn't commit suicide. I would bet just about anything that she is using my old 'cheerful idiot' mask as a cover." With a small sad smile, he gazed into Temari's eyes. "Under that mask is a rage fit to burn the world, Temari. Be careful, please."

Temari felt taken aback. In her irritation, she had forgotten that Naruto had a similar background to her brother. It was a miracle he had come out whole, and Ino had been forced to live those long years in mere seconds of agony. It wasn't surprising that the poor girl was clinging to the one person she **knew **would understand and could help her. Reaching up, she lightly ran a finger over one of Naruto's whisker marks, amusing herself at the quiet purr it caused.

" Alright, you made your point. I'll do what I can to help her."

"Thanks Temari-chan." He said with a smile that could light up the night. The sort of smile that made a woman, who grew up in an unstable world of violence, feel like everything was going to be okay. She found she couldn't help herself - she leaned down and pulled him into a firm embrace. She wasn't terribly surprised that he didn't really seem to know how to respond. Still he wasn't fighting her and that was more then enough.

Naruto was confused. He knew what hugs were, but he really didn't think he had ever received one. It was a nice feeling, being wrapped up in someone's arms. All of his anger slipped out of him like water over a stone, and he relaxed into Temari's arms, gently returning the affection. He remembered how much she seemed to like it when he stroked her hands, and he decided to see if the same was true for her back. He was pleased with his efforts when the girl seemed to relax even more as a result. He didn't really want to end it but they both had things to do so he reluctantly broke away.

"Gomen Temari-chan, but I need to go see about the foxes and I believe you have someone you need to talk to."

Sighing in frustration, Temari nodded her agreement and headed downstairs to check on her blonde foe. Or was it friend? Seeing the girl in question idly tapping her fingers on the table as she daydreamed, Temari braced herself and went forth to do battle... gently.

Naruto entered his backyard as he considered the foxes gathered there. He knew that ever since Kyubi's attack foxes had not fared well in Konoha, but why had they gathered here on his estate? There were far less than he had assumed, perhaps a dozen family groups total. He hid his surprise as a large gray and red fox approached him and bowed.

"Greetings Lord Regent, I beg forgiveness but it is urgent we speak."

"Uh, yeah, I was just thinking the same thing. What's going on here?"

"My name is Reynard, Lord Regent."

Holding up his hand to stop the fox, Naruto queried, "Lord Regent?"

Bowing again, the fox explained. "You hold Lord Kyubi inside your body My Lord, and as such, until his return, you are his Regent."

"Ah, please continue, but I'm not much for formality, please just call me Naruto." Naruto responded.

"As you wish, Naruto-Sama. We have gathered here to request sanctuary. For years, our kind have been hunted here in Konoha. All that have survived are gathered here. As our Regent, we humbly request your help."

Eyes widening, Naruto did another quick count. _This is it?_he thought incredulously. It had seemed like a lot of animals to be in one place, but if they were all that was left, their species was on the verge of extinction.

"Very well Reynard. The kitsune are welcome on these grounds. You should be safe here. I'll talk to Ba- Lady Hokage in the morning to find a more permanent solution, but is there anything I can do now?"

"Aye, Naruto-Sama. The kits need urgent care, and I fear some of our members have been poisoned from the traps set up in the woods. Their wounds are not healing as they should."

"If I can arrange a non hostile veterinarian, will the others be willing?"

"It should not be an issue, Naruto-Sama, if you are present. The kitsune find solace in your presence."

With yet another sigh, Naruto waved for Reynard to follow him.

"I suppose we need to go see the Inuzuka clan. I'm not sure how well their ninken will react to your presence, but I suspect I will need you."

"As you wish, Naruto-Sama."

The trip to the Inuzuka compound was something of an eye opener for Naruto. He was use to glares of hatred or icy silence - having people wave at him as he passed, or groups of girls giggling as they followed him was downright unnerving. No one seemed to even notice Reynard trotting along beside him and that was even stranger.

He really doubted people would change their minds that fast, even if they had seen everything that happened in his head, so it was with some relief when he arrived at the Inuzuka gates. Short lived relief when he spotted the dark-haired, feral figure of Tsume Inuzuka leaning against the gates.

"Well, well, what brings Minato and Kushina's puppy to me today?" Eying Reynard, she added, "And with a guest, I see."

_It's to help the foxes, it's to help the foxes. Stay calm, be respectful._ Taking a deep breath, Naruto and Reynard explained what happened and what help they needed as respectfully as possible. (Naruto was extremely polite. He had several run ins with Tsume in the past because of his pranks and the woman scared him even more then Crazy Snake Lady.)

Tsume was not happy that canines, even if they were foxes, had almost been hunted into extinction near Konoha. An agreement was quickly struck allowing Inuzuka vets and their ninken into Namikaze grounds to treat the foxes and train Naruto in animal husbandry. In return, Clan Namikaze would pay a yearly fee and would allow young Inuzuka access to fox kits as possible partners. The hope was that when members of a large and influential clan began working with fox partners, the fear and hatred of the foxes would slowly die away.

Satisfied with the deal struck, and considering other options he may have regarding the foxes, Naruto and Reynard led a handful of Inuzuka vets back to the estate.

* * *

Temari was having issues. Specifically a blonde issue that was now wrapped around her, sobbing. She had intended to politely talk to Ino about staying the hell away from her fiance, then work with the girl regarding her new emotional issues. Sadly, almost as soon as she got the Yamanka's attention Ino had simply exploded.

"I don't get it!" She screamed. "I can't even go through town without wanting to kill almost everyone I meet – including myself. I see people I know I've had good times with and then his memories flash in my head and I see how they treated him and I just want them to **burn**!" Suddenly the girl stopped and flashed Temari a foxy grin. "Ne, did you need to talk about something Temari-chan?"

Temari eyed the girl and despite everything her heart went out to her. Ino didn't have the sheer will that Naruto did to bury or channel the rage and hate, and if something wasn't done, Ino would simply explode before her normal personality resurfaced. Temari pulled the girl into a hug where she promptly broke down and cried, and almost 2 hours later, Ino was still there. Temari was not a real 'touchy feely' kind of girl at the best of times and being sobbed on for a couple of hours had not improved her mood, but it was a necessary evil

It wasn't surprising that when Naruto came wandering back in from supervising the Inuzuka vets, Temari damn near threw Ino at him.

"I can't deal with this anymore, you do it!" She yelled as she stomped off.

"Naruto, how do you do it? How do you block this out?" Ino begged, disregarding Temari's absence.

"Ino, you have to find a goal and focus everything into it. I strive to be Hokage. I put everything into it and when I gain that goal, I will prove to everyone who ever doubted or hurt me that they were wrong. That's how I deal with it. For now, I need to ask you to go home. Talk with your dad, clear your head, do things that you, Ino, like to do. Hopefully that will help drive back my memories and let you get back on with your life." Naruto gently smiled at her. "You are welcome here to talk or train whenever Ino, but right now, I need to spend time with my fiancee. With everything that's happened I feel I've neglected Temari."

After escorting Ino out, Naruto wandered the house until he found Temari sitting on the rail of the back balcony, watching the fox kits play in the yard.

"Gomen Temari-chan," He said softly to avoid startling her. "I didn't realize how bad my memories were affecting her."

Sighing, Temari continued to face the yard, "It's not your fault. When she was clinging to me, I realized all the suffering that you and my brother suffered. If I'd tried, I could have been there for Gaara. Maybe I could have stopped him from snapping."

Walking closer, Naruto wrapped his arms around her from behind.

"It wasn't your fault, Temari-chan. Gaara told me before he left that your father never allowed you to be near him when he was younger. When you finally met, it was already too late. But you're there for him now, and that is what's important."

Temari relaxed back into his embrace, surprised with how comfortable she felt being held by the boy. In Sunagakure, everyone had feared her father or her brother and she spent much of her time alone or with Kankuro. Somehow, the maddening and confusing boy holding her had broken through her defenses and rather than be threatened by it, she felt safe.

"Temari-chan, do you want to go out for dinner? I can show you all my favorite spots around town."

She smiled, even though he couldn't see it.

"Yes, I think I would like that."

**"Caring about someone isn't complicated. It isn't easy. But it isn't complicated, either. Kinda like lifting the engine block out of a car."  
― Jim Butcher, _ Small Favor _**

**AN**

**And cut. For those of you wondering, the thing Ino is going through is temporary, she will have her usual personality, but will be far more focused than cannon Ino. Next chapter should be wedding and politics I think.**


	6. The TALK and Setting the Stage

**Disclaimer: Yep, still don't own Naruto**

_**Go Dragon! Now with extra Beta power!**_

_**"Fire isn't always an element of destruction. Classical alchemical doctrine teaches that it also has dominion over another province: change." **_  
_** ― Jim Butcher, Cold Days **_

* * *

Naruto sank into the onsen with a groan. His head fell back as he let the hot water work magic on his sore muscles. He was supremely grateful that he regenerated - it allowed him to build and tone muscle at a literally inhuman rate, but it still hurt like hell.

To his immense irritation, the supremely important nature of his upcoming marriage meant he was relegated to stay within the village walls. Since Team 7 was officially disbanded – following his promotion and Sasuke being dropped from active duty – he had little to do but train.

A smile found its way to his face when he thought about his recent training. He had known from the exams that Temari was strong and brutal, but he hadn't realized how relieved he should have been that he didn't have to fight her. Her long range attacks were dangerous as hell on their own, and coupled with her brute strength at close range, she was an absolute menace. There had been several occasions during training that he thought she might actually kill him. He was learning to fear that fan of hers.

He was startled out of his thoughts and into a panic when Temari entered the bath.

"Temari-chan," he blurted, "What are you doing here?"

She laughed loudly at him – over the weeks of their pre-marriage relationship, she'd opened up quite a bit. She dropped her robe to reveal she'd put on a light purple bikini with gentle tribal patterns.

"Relax silly boy," she said with a victorious grin, "I'm wearing a swimsuit."

She was further amused when the poor boy couldn't seem to take his eyes off her, jaw dropped in awe. She supposed she could tease him about it, but instead opted not to. It was sort of flattering to be admired so openly.

Naruto was having issues rebooting his brain. All he knew was this was an image he wanted to remember for the rest of his life. Recovering somewhat, he motioned for her to join him and settled back into the water.

"That was a cruel trick Temari-chan." He pouted.

Still snickering at the boy, Temari sank into the water opposite him, sighing in pleasure. A peaceful silence fell between the teens and they relaxed, enjoying the others company. Temari was first to speak.

"Did you hear about the Uchiha?" She questioned.

A brief flash of rage crossed Naruto's face, followed by a pained look.

"Yeah," he said, unspoken emotions making his voice rough. "Sakura-chan told me when she visited today. Apparently the 'great Uchiha' has decided to get married." Naruto gritted his teeth and choked back his anger, "She said he proposed and she's thrilled, but I don't think she realizes he doesn't care about her. He doesn't love her – he just wants to rebuild his clan, and get back at me at the same time."

"I never did see what you saw in that girl." Temari stated calmly. "Still, I agree." She had a whimsical smile as she continued, "Did I ever tell you how glad I was that my groom turned out to _not _be him? I'd expected it to be, once I found out my husband was from Konoha."

Naruto snorted a laugh, her comment defusing his temper as she had planned.

"Me too. I'd always kind of wanted to be with Sakura, but I'd never really thought about marriage or anything. I started thinking about why I like her so much – I'll tell you, if you want to listen." Pausing, he tapped his chin as he considered where to begin. "No one liked me when I was a kid – back then, I didn't know why. I thought maybe it was just because I was an orphan or something. When I was out walking, I saw a group of girls bullying a girl with pink hair, calling her 'billboard brow'. I scared them off, and she was still there, so I tried to talk to her. I told her I thought she was really cute, and asked her if she wanted to play. We spent all day on the playing and it was great."

Naruto paused and closed his eyes sadly.

"It didn't last long. Her mother found out we were playing together and made a big fuss. She said Sakura wasn't allowed to play with me ever again. I didn't forget her but when we started at the Academy, it was obvious she had forgotten me. Or that's what it seemed like, but looking back I think she did remember. She was mean to me, but she never really meant to hurt me. She would say things to my face instead of behind my back." Naruto snorted. "The rest you know. Lovesick fool gets assigned to a team with the girl he has crushed on for years and the teme he can't really stand but has some sort of odd bond with anyway."

Temari looked thoughtful as she let the information soak in.

"You're right, that explained a lot. I almost feel bad for her."

"Yeah, but it's what she wants, so there's nothing I can do. If I say anything, she'll just think I'm jealous. She'll have to find out on her own."

Standing, Temari draped her towel back around herself.

"Well, this little 'game' is just starting, and I'll always have your back." Blushing a bit at the implications of her last statement, she hurriedly continued. "Anyway, it's getting late so I'm headed to bed. I would suggest you do the same, I've heard about your plans for tomorrow." She finished with a sneer.

His groan brought a smirk to her face. As she walked back to the house, she added some extra sway to her hips when she felt his eyes on her. She had to admit, teasing was much more fun then she'd thought.

Recovering from the massive nosebleed Temari had just caused, Naruto stood up and grabbed his towel. Feeling eyes upon him, he froze, relaxing when Reynard approached him.

"Your mate is certainly spirited, Naruto-Sama." The fox spoke with amusement in his voice. Following Naruto towards the house, he adopted a businesslike manner. "Lord Regent, have you considered the matter I brought to your attention?"

Gritting his teeth, Naruto responded.

"Hai, I believe I have a solution, but I'm not sure I can convince Inoichi to cooperate. The last time a Yamanaka entered my mind, things went.. poorly, to say the least." Pausing at the door, Naruto faced the fox, "I'll discuss it with him tomorrow after my appointment with Baa-Chan. I'll let you know what he decides."

"Very well Naruto-Sama." The fox said with a bow. "I bid you good evening my lord."

Sighing, Naruto waved goodbye and entered the house to get some rest. He had a feeling the next day was going to be above and away the hardest day of his life.

* * *

Slipping through the window in imitation of both his sensei, Naruto was somewhat amazed to find Tsunade both awake and sober.

"Good Morning Baa-Chan" He called out, ignoring the twitch over Tsunade's eye. Tsunade gently coughed into her hand and Naruto paused, then snapped to attention. "Chunin Uzumaki-Namikaze reporting as ordered, Hokage-Baa-Chan."

Grumbling under her breath at being called Grandma Hokage, which was possibly even more annoying then just plain Baa-Chan, Tsunade adopted a stern professional manner.

"With your wedding coming up a week from yesterday, we have several things we need to cover. First, I need you to create 3 clones."

Tsunade made three of her own clones, and paired a Naruto clone with each of hers.

"Alright, you two," She said, pointing at the first pair, "You are to go and review everything he needs to do during the wedding ceremony. We will have dignitaries from the capitol and Sunagakure so everything needs to be perfect." Pointing at the second pair, "You, take him and get him fitted out with a formal kimono and no, it is not allowed to be orange." Rolling her eyes, she turned to the last pair, "Last, you are to take him and get everything prepared for the reception. Food, flowers, drinks, everything."

As the clones left on their assigned tasks, Tsunade pulled out a whiteboard, several thick books and a folder that appeared to be stuffed with photos.

"Ne, Baa-Chan?" he questioned. "While the clones are out doing their thing, what are we doing?"

Tsunade had a predatory smile as she answered.

"One of the holes in your education has been brought to my attention and I will need to remedy that before your wedding." She tossed one of the books at him and her smile turned truly evil. "I believe it's time someone explained the 'birds and the bees' to you and you're just lucky I'm the best medical kunoichi there is."

Naruto blanched as Tsunade began hanging medical pictures of genitalia on the whiteboard. Glancing at the book in his hands, the title made him sweat. _A Complete Listing of Sexually Transmitted Diseases? I wonder if I can escape?_ Edging towards the window, Naruto cursed as Tsunade activated the privacy seals, trapping him.

"Going somewhere Gaki?" she sneered at him. Turning around, Naruto gulped and faced his doom.

* * *

Several hours later, a pale and drawn Naruto entered Konoha's premier flower shop unsteadily. If getting the _"talk" _from his Baa-Chan wasn't bad enough, all three clones had dispelled filling him with memories of complete boredom - or utter horror, in the case of the clone sent shopping. He was so distracted he didn't notice a certain blonde trying to get his attention until she smacked him upside the head.

Ino still wasn't allowed to go on missions – Tsunade wouldn't sign off on her return from medical leave until she was sure the slowly simmering rage had passed. That meant she was trapped in her parents flower shop, bored out of her skull.

The door chime signaling a customer grabbed her attention and she looked up to see a distracted Naruto walk through the door. Trying and failing to get his attention, Ino decided to take a page from Forehead's book and punched him in the head. While this did get him to pay attention, Ino cursed under her breath as she rubbed her knuckles. Hitting his head really hurt.

"I said," She said in a near yell. "What can I do for you Naruto?"

"Gomen." Naruto said hurriedly. "I was distracted by some of the things I had to do today." Eying the shop inventory, he had a sudden flash of inspiration. "Alright, I need some stuff for gardening. And I need to see your dad."

"Alright, my dad should be back shortly. He went to meet with Shikaku and Choza." Pursing her lips, she examined Naruto critically. "What did you need as far as gardening supplies?"

Naruto just shrugged.

"I don't really know." he said. "The garden at the estate is sort of overgrown, so we need to clear the yard. And some spots need to have grass replanted, too. Temari has been working on a small flower garden near the house, but that's only because the original patch was growing on the stairs and we had to trim it back."

"Hmm, that's not a lot to go with Naruto. Can you tell me what sort of flowers and plants are currently there?" She openly frowned at him when he just shrugged. Palming her face, she resisted the urge to smack him. "Alright, how about I go back to your house with you and figure things out. I'll help you figure everything out."

Naruto just shrugged again.

"That sounds like it'll work Ino-chan." Further conversation was cut off as Inoichi entered the shop. "Ah, looks like your dad is here. I'll come grab you after I finish speaking with him."

Waving bye to the girl, Naruto braced himself and approached Inoichi.

"Good afternoon, Yamanaka-san," Naruto greeted him politely. "I have business I must discuss with you." Eying Ino standing nearby staring attentively, he added. "Privately please."

Nodding to the boy, Inoichi gestured for him to follow as he headed back through the rear of the flower shop to the office. Closing the door and activating the privacy seals after an amused glance at Ino - who had followed the two, curiosity written all over her face - Inoichi moved behind his desk and sat down, waving for Naruto to have a seat as well. He drummed his fingers as he considered his guest.

"So, what did you need to speak with me about Uzumaki-san?"

"I'll get right to the point," Naruto said sitting forward intently, "I need you to help me bring someone inside my mindscape for a meeting with the fox."

For a moment Inoichi couldn't believe his ears, "You want me to _what_?"

"I need you to help me bring someone into my mind to meet with the fox." Naruto repeated calmly. "As you may be aware, several fox families have made my estate their home. What you don't know is that those foxes are all that are left in the forests near Konoha. The alpha male of the remaining foxes approached me seeking sanctuary, calling me Lord Regent. Reynard, that is his name, informed me that I am Lord Regent of the foxes due to their Lord Kyubi being sealed inside me."'

Nodding his understanding, Inoichi considered the new information. Obviously foxes weren't popular after Kyubi's attack, but he hadn't known that they had almost been exterminated. Kyubi being Lord of the foxes wasn't too surprising, it was a giant fox after all. Still, he didn't understand how the foxes knew whom Kyubi was sealed in, and more importantly, who would want to meet the fox?

"I see from your expression you still don't understand my request. I need to speak with Kyubi regarding the foxes, but I want to take Reynard as well. I can enter my mindscape, but I can't take anyone with me. That is where you come in. I'm willing to pay S-Rank for the mission and you do not have to come anywhere near the fox. I just need Reynard transported in."

Inoichi sat back as he considered the offer. True, he could use the pay - S-Rank was really nice and it sounded easier then most. Still, anything dealing with the fox was a major security issue for Konoha.

"Very well," he said. "You'll need to turn in a mission request and have it approved by the Hokage. Anything dealing with your 'tenant' could be a security issue. Once you have the mission request in, I will need to meet Reynard. I'm not sure if a fox can actually meditate, but if I can teach him to do so, the process will be much smoother. I figure with your wedding approaching, and the need to recover after it," he said with a small smile Naruto didn't really get, "We can do this in two weeks or so."

"I understand," Naruto said standing. "I'll go get the paperwork in. Baa-chan might have something to add. If you want to meet Reynard, I'm headed home and Ino is already coming along to survey the damage to the garden. If you wish, you're more than welcome to come along as well."

Deactivating the privacy seals, Inoichi ushered Naruto from the office, "I don't have anything else right now, and I'm curious to see the garden you're talking about anyway." Entering the flower shop proper, Inoichi addressed his daughter. "Ino, looks like I'm coming with you to the Namikaze estate tonight. Is there anything you need before we go?"

Rolling up the taijutsu scroll she had been reading and darted for the door.

"I'm ready to go anytime, daddy." She chirped.

Inoichi eyed his daughter with amusement, "Minding the shop isn't that bad hun, you don't have to act like you want to be anywhere but here you know."

Rolling her eyes, Ino ran and pushed her dad out the door, grabbing Naruto's hand in passing and yanking him out as well. Slamming the door closed she turned and jumped in the air, arms stretched out.

"Woohoo! Freedom Datteboyo!" Clapping her hand over her mouth, she glared at her smirking companions. "**Not a word**!" She yelled and stomped off.

Smiling at each other, Naruto and Inoichi set off for the Namikaze estate. Several minutes passed and Naruto broke the silence.

"Ne, Yamanaka-san, how long till she realizes she went the wrong way?" Inoichi never answered. He just started laughing.

Ino caught up before Naruto made it home, and her glare warned the guys not to say anything about it. Entering the grounds, Naruto was mobbed by a handful of excited fox kits, sending Ino into cuteness overload. With a loud "Kawaii", Ino scooped up one of the kits and began hugging it, much to Naruto's amusement. It had taken several days before Temari could get close to the kits without shorting out. _Must be a girl thing._

Kneeling, Naruto addressed one of the older female's keeping an watchful eye on the kits.

"Would you please get Reynard? Tell him to meet us in the garden." The vixen nodded and headed back into the trees on the far side of the grounds. Turning to his guests Naruto spoke. "Well, Reynard will meet us there, so let's go check out the garden."

Both Inoichi and Ino let out low toneless whistles as the somewhat trashed garden came into view. They were impressed by the potential to be found, but 14 years of neglect followed by the ministrations of an army of inept clones trying to garden had left it a complete mess.

"Sweet Kami," Ino screeched. "What the hell did you do to this poor garden!?"

Stepping back away from the irate girl, Naruto waved his hands defensively.

"Wait, wait. Hold on, this was completely overgrown when I inherited it. All I did was send something like a hundred clones to try to clean it up."

With a sniff of disdain, Ino turned and stalked away, surveying the garden for its needed repairs. Inoichi just sort of loitered listening to Naruto muttering under his breath with a smile. _Ahh, this generation truly is something, isn't it Minato?_ He perked up when a large gray and red fox approached Naruto.

"Good Evening Naruto-Sama." The fox said, startling Inoichi.

"Evening Reynard." Naruto cheerfully returned. Jerking a thumb at Inoichi, Naruto did introductions. "Reynard, this is Inoichi Yamanaka, head of a clan here in Konoha that specializes in the arts of the mind."

"I see," Reynard replied. Facing Inoichi, Reynard bowed. "Good Evening Yamanaka-san, as Naruto-Sama stated, my name is Reynard. I am pleased to make your acquaintance."

"Ano, I am pleased to meet you as well Reynard." Inoichi replied a bit uncertainly. _Naruto didn't tell me the fox spoke, but that should make things easier I guess._ "My apologies if I seem surprised, but I wasn't informed you could speak."

Naruto looked a little put out.

"I told you we were going to talk with the Kyubi. What did you think that meant?"

Inoichi palmed his face.

"Never mind." He gritted out. Looking far more cheerful, he continued. "This is actually a good thing as far as the mission goes. Reynard, for me to bring you into Naruto's mind, I'm going to have to teach you to meditate. You being able to speak with me should make the process go much smoother."

"Truly excellent news, Yamanaka-san." The fox replied. "May I inquire as to when we will be doing this training? Also, how long will this take?"

Inoichi tapped his chin as he thought.

"I'm not sure how long it will take. Most I teach don't take more then a few sessions but they were all human. As for when, we have two weeks at a minimum with Naruto's upcoming wedding."

Before Reynard could respond, Ino came storming up, slowing in caution at the sight of the large fox.

"Daddy," she exclaimed. "This is going to take forever to fix, but I have a list of supplies Naruto-baka is going to need." Handing the scroll to her father, Ino stuck her tongue out playfully at Naruto. "You're gonna need someone to show you what you're suppose to be doing as well, Whiskers. It's going to take a while."

Inoichi's eyes bugged slightly at the amount listed on the scroll. Adding the costs up in his head, he had to hold back laughter. _Haha, between this and that S-Rank pay he offered, I'll be able to afford one of Ino and her mother's little shopping sprees and __**still**__ have sake money left over._ When he looked up, Ino was looking at him in a distressingly knowing manner. _Ahh crap, there goes my sake money._

"Excuse me Lord Regent, Yamanaka-san, but I believe I have a solution for both the 'garden issue' and also my meditation training." Seeing interested looks on both Naruto and Inoichi's faces, and ignoring Ino's wide eyed shock, Reynard described his solution. "I need training, and Naruto-sama needs someone to teach him to care for the garden. I smell the scent of flowers and potting soil on your kit Yamanaka-san, am I correct in assuming she would have the skill to teach Naruto-Sama?"

"Yes, she is quite capable of that , I've taught her horticulture for most of her life."

"Very well, my suggestion is that I come stay with you until we mind walk, and Ino-san stays here to teach Naruto-Sama."

Naruto went completely pale, Ino had a sort of bemused smirk and Inoichi was visibly conflicted. By far more experienced then the two younger humans, Inoichi was the first to recover.

"If you are willing to sleep in one of the greenhouses, you are more then welcome. However, I'm not ready to let Ino stay over for several weeks with a boy - not to mention Naruto is getting married in just under a week."

Ino was nodding her head until her father made the mistake of saying "let her". She had an evil gleam in her eye as she laced into her father.

"See this Father?" she spat, pointing at her hitai-ate. "This says that I'm an adult and you can stuff 'let her' straight down an Akimichi toilet." She paused in her rant, fist raised near her fathers face when she noticed Naruto edging away. "And where do you think _you're _going, Whiskers?"

Naruto froze, opened his mouth, then disappeared in a brilliant yellow flash, leaving Ino standing there shaking with rage.

"Grrr, when I get my hands on him...how dare he leave when I was yelling at him." Losing Naruto as a target, she turned back to her father.

Inoichi, while annoyed at being left to face his daughter, was also quietly amused. _That was almost exactly like the time after Kushina got pregnant. Minato had said something about her gaining weight. _Not listening to his daughter, while maintaining an outward appearance of rapt attention, Ino continued down memory lane._It was one of the funniest things I've ever seen. Minato constantly flashing away as Kushina destroyed everything in her way.  
_

Ino's rant at her father was stopped as Naruto flashed back into the garden with an arm wrapped around Temari. He suspected that she knew he didn't need to hold her quite that tight to transport her, but she wasn't complaining and Naruto found he liked holding her close. Reluctantly letting Temari go, Naruto held up a hand to forestall an outburst from Ino.

"No, I didn't run away," he said quietly to force the temperamental girl to shut up and listen. "I went to go get Temari-chan. She does live here, and in less than a week will be my wife. I figure that since this would affect her, she should know whats going on."

_Not to mention she is way stronger than you, Ino-chan, and you know it._

Temari already knew what was going on thanks to a quick briefing from Naruto before he flashed them back to the garden.

"So," she said with a smirk, "We trade the overly formal fox with Flowergirl for the next few weeks huh?" Ignoring Ino's glare at the nickname, she considered. "I don't really have a problem with it. It's not like we don't have extra room here. And it will be nice to have the garden all fixed up. I don't know much about maintaining plants in this kind of climate."

Inoichi seeing the look on his daughter's face and sighed in defeat. After some minor haggling with Naruto on the cost of both the supplies needed and Ino's services, Inoichi left, taking Reynard and Ino with him.

"Hmm," Naruto said, taking a quick glance at the sky to check the time. "It's still early, Temari-chan. You want to do something?"

Temari considered that, "Its too late to spar, and we've both already eaten. I feel like a quiet night in. Tell me, do you play shogi?"

"I know of it," Naruto replied. "But if you're willing to teach me, I'm willing to learn how to play." Motioning for Temari to follow, Naruto lead the way inside.

* * *

"I don't get it." Temari said, half hysterically.

"I know Temari-chan." Naruto grumbled lifelessly.

"No, I really don't get it. I just taught you to play a few hours ago!"

"I know Temari-chan."

"ARGH! You have no strategy, you make the most bizarre moves, _but I can't beat you_!" Temari yelled in frustration.

"I don't know Temari-chan. It's just like in a fight – I just sort of _do things_." Naruto said with a shrug. Stifling a yawn, "Alright, I have some things to do tomorrow before I go pick up Ino-chan. I'm headed to bed."

Struck by a sudden impulse, Naruto walked behind Temari and gently rubbed her shoulders briefly. Giving the girl a quick kiss on the check, Naruto headed upstairs.

"Goodnight Suna-Hime."

Temari was floored, not saying anything as she watched him head up the stairs. Raising her hand to her check, she smiled gently. He had surprised her with the brief shoulder rub - it had felt great but she hadn't been expecting the kiss at all. _It was very sweet, _she thought with a blush. She missed her brothers and the dessert, but little things like tonight reminded her that her life was good.

The next week passed quickly. Ino may have been a giant pain but she knew her stuff and the garden began to show its natural beauty. Naruto found, to his surprise, that Ino was fairly pleasant company without Sasuke around. He had enjoyed working the garden with her and even Temari pitched in, though plants weren't really her thing. She was no good with the local plants, but Ino had promised they could convert a greenhouse to maintain some plants from her home country.

Time passed all too quickly for Naruto. Before he knew it, he was standing outside the shrine, bracing himself to go through with getting married.

_**"You backbiting, poisonous, treacherous, deceitful, wicked, clever girl. If this works I'll buy you a pony." **_  
_** ― Jim Butcher, Summer Knight **_

**AN**

**OK, another chapter done. For those of you actually reading this, next chapter will be the marriage and Naruto's introduction to council politics. It's a good thing he has a Kage's daughter for advice right?**


	7. To Marry a Sand Princess

**Disclaimer: Yeah, still don't own Naruto**

_**Fear the Beta! Another chapter cleaned up by So Said the Dragon**_

_**"I think that men ought to treat women like something other than weaker men with breasts." **_  
_** ― Jim Butcher, Storm Front **_

Naruto nervously checked himself over in the mirror. His only alteration to the black formal kimono had been the addition of his family crest on the back, emblazoned in burnt orange. Peering closer at his reflection, he had to admit, he did look pretty good, even if no one else seemed to like the color scheme. Seriously, it looked awesome and it wasn't like it was the old neon orange his jumpsuit had been. Even he knew better than to wear that shade at such a formal event.

He suppressed his frown as he considered that last thought. This was turning out to be an even larger event then he could have imagined, not only was Baa-Chan officiating, but both the Fire and Wind Daimyos were in attendance along with their attendants.

Given the high potential for disaster, Temari had been given strict orders by Tsunade, in front of Naruto no less, that she was to keep him tightly under control. Naruto snorted, if he were Hokage and had someone as "troublesome" as himself, he would have kept them far away from an event like this. _Heh, to bad for Baa-Chan that its __**my**__ wedding. Wonder if she has an ulcer yet?_

A knock brought Naruto out of his thoughts, and Iruka entered the room.

"Hey Naruto." The scarred chunin said. "You ready for this?"

Holding his hand out so Iruka could see the slight tremor, Naruto responded.

"As ready as I can be, Iruka-Sensei." Turning back to the mirror for one last check of his appearance, he sighed. "I know what to do, and why I'm doing it, and I can honestly say that I do like Temari-chan, but this is not how I ever saw myself in the future, ya know."

Stepping forward, Iruka helped Naruto make a few adjustments.

"I'm proud of you." He said softly. "You're facing your duty head on and trying to make the best of it. In circumstances like this, that's really all you can do." Checking his watch, Iruka motioned Naruto towards the door. "Alright, its time."

Following Iruka mostly on autopilot, Naruto felt the world go somewhat surreal as he entered the shrine. The seats were all filled, and Naruto gulped as he realized he had to go and stand out in front of this many people. Scanning the crowd, he saw most of his friends with their families and he couldn't help but smile a little when he saw most of them looked almost as uncomfortable as him. Reaching the alter, he turned to face the crowd, forcing himself to not show his emotions.

If he remembered correctly, he had a few minutes until Temari would make her appearance – something about Sunagakure tradition. He really hadn't been paying too much attention. Using the time, he decided to study the people he would be dealing with in the future.

With the exception of Sasuke, all the other clan heads were attending and he had to admit, they had some great poker faces. His nervousness increased when he noticed the Fire Daimyo studying him. Naruto prided himself on his ability to read people but he simply couldn't read the Daimyo at all. In his brief meeting with the man, the only thing he had been able to determine about him was that apparently he really liked his fan.

Naruto was almost shocked out of his blank face when he noticed Madam Shijimi sitting next to her husband, holding Tora as tightly as usual. _Oh dear Kami, the demon cat is attending my wedding,_ he thought blankly.

The strains of the Wedding March announced Temari's entrance drawing Naruto's attention from the crowd and to his bride. Her beauty simply took his breath away. She dressed in a perfect combination of traditional clothes from both countries, embracing Konohagakure in her formal white kimono, and Sunagakure in the red additions to otherwise traditional white makeup. She had decided to wear a wataboshi, a plain white hood, instead of a tsunokakushi, and attached was a thin veil in the Sunagakure tradition of obscuring the bride's face.

Naruto had to hide a small smile – a tsunokakushi would have implied Temari intended to be a gentle and obedient wife. He didn't see her in that role, and had jokingly commented on it while they were planning the ceremony. Temari had launched him into the wall for it. _Ahh, good times._

He allowed his smile to show when he saw Gaara escorting his sister. In Konohagakure tradition, the father would be the one to escort their bride; in the event of his absence, the oldest brother, or barring that another male relative or friend, would take his place. Kankuro, by age, should have been the one to escort Temari to her future husband, but Naruto had strongly believed it would be good for all of them if Gaara was the one to do so. It would demonstrate the rift in their family was mended, and it was very important for Gaara as well.

Watching the care Gaara was taking as he escorted his sister, Naruto felt vindicated. While he maintained his usual stoic expression, Naruto could see the happiness in his fellow Jinchuriki's eyes. As Gaara released his sister, Naruto nodded to Gaara with a smile and was rewarded when the corner of his mouth twitched up in response. Looking over at Temari, Naruto noticed she had seen it as well and he could simply feel her joy radiating off her.

Temari stood facing her fiancé, hands clasped with his as Tsunade began the ceremony. While still unhappy about being married off for the village, especially to someone three years younger, she took some measure of joy in the fact that her situation could have been a lot worse.

The marriage was one of duty – Naruto didn't love her, just like she did not love him. Still, the potential for love was there and Temari had found herself very fond of the little blond goofball. People seemed to think he was some sort of idiot, and at times he could be, but he could also be surprisingly thoughtful, as evidenced by his suggestion that Gaara escort her at this wedding. So it was with a light heart that she smiled down at him and bent his wrists back when he seemed to space out during Tsunade's speech.

The pain from his wrists being bent snapped Naruto out of the daydream the boring ceremony had caused and he had to hide a wince when he saw the way Temari was staring at him. The look had both sympathy and a promise of severe pain, an odd mix to be sure, and Naruto decided he would **not** be spacing off again.

_Heh, no wonder Shikamaru called her 'troublesome' during the exam. Not that he doesn't call most women that, but still._

Reaching the end of the purification ritual, Tsunade unsealed the traditional sake and Naruto couldn't stop a small tremor as he reached forward to take a cup. Once he and Temari exchanged these sake cups, it was done. They would be married. Taking a deep breath, Naruto held the cup for her to drink from, as she held his. The rice wine burned as Naruto completed the San-san-kudo, claiming Temari as his wife. Taking the cups, he placed them back on the white cloth covered tray and turned back to his wife.

"Temari-chan." He said hesitantly, but with increasing strength as he continued. "Our marriage is one of duty, our honor for the village. I wasn't expecting this, and I know you weren't either, but the past month has been very happy for me and I thank you for that."

Breaking from wedding protocol, Naruto drew Temari to her feet as he stood and faced the crowd.

"I am Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto, Clan Head of Clan Uzumaki and Clan Namikaze." Pulling the stunned girl forward to face the crowd with him, Naruto continued. "This is Uzumaki-Namikaze Temari, my wife. Our marriage is a symbol of the renewed alliance between Sand and Leaf and as such, my oath to you Temari-chan. You are my wife, my partner, my equal in all things. May our joining be blessed by Kamisama and the union of our peoples as well."

Temari was stunned - floored at her husbands actions. This sort of thing just was **not** done at a formal state event. Konohagakure's rules had been much more lax then Sunagakure, but this went beyond that. He went off script, tossed in veiled insults at the Konohagakure council, and he was getting away with it! Gazing over the crowd and seeing most everyone in the crowd fired up and excited at her husband's speech, she was simply stupefied.

In future years, Temari would state that this was the moment she _knew _that her husband would one day become Hokage.

With a large smile of satisfaction, Naruto faced his wife and drew a box from a storage seal on the arm of his kimono. Opening it up, he took out a heavy gold ring and smiled at his her.

"Temari-chan, it is customary here in Konoha that Husband and Wife exchange rings and so I had this made for you."

Temari eyed the ring curiously as Naruto placed it on her left ring finger. It was fairly large, the center holding a diamond surrounded by an Uzumaki Swirl. One side of the ring had Suna's hourglass emblazoned and the other had the Leaf insignia. It was very thoughtful on her husband's part, a symbol of her past, present and future all wrapped together. _He does something like this, just to make me happy? _Holding her hand up to stare at the ring in wonderment, Temari was struck with a thought.

"You said we exchange rings? Where is yours?"

Naruto's smile widened as he drew another ring from the seal.

"This one is mine. I would be honored if you would place it on my finger." He said as he handed her the box.

Drawing the ring from the box, Temari noted that the plain gold band was very much like her own, though the diamond had been replaced with an engraving of a nine-tailed fox. Startled, she glanced at her husband and he smiled somewhat sadly at her.

"It seemed wrong to not include it, Temari-chan. It's part of me." Nodding her acceptance, she slid the ring onto his finger, then decided to reward him for his thoughtfulness earlier. Pulling him towards her, she cupped his face and leaned down to give him a passionate kiss.

At first, Naruto had stiffened defensively but when he began to kiss her back, Temari felt it throughout her body. Breaking the kiss, Temari blushed at the amused expression on Tsunade's face. _Sweet Kami what was THAT!?_ Composing herself, Temari remembered that she had something she still needed to do. Ignoring her rather dazed husband, Temari tossed a bouquet into the gathered women, then linked arms with her husband.

There was a sense of general amusement in the crowd when the bouquet was caught by a blushing Ino Yamanaka. Temari and Naruto, arms linked, exited the shrine and headed back to their home for the wedding reception.

* * *

Across town, things were not so festive. The wedding of Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura had been well attended, but only by civilians from Konoha. Inwardly Sasuke had seethed that pretty much everyone of importance in Konoha had attended Naruto's wedding and all he had was the civilians. The cheers of those gathered meant nothing to him as he went through the motions of the short ceremony.

He had needed a kunoichi to restart his clan but after he was crippled by the dobe, the only one interested was Sakura. At first, Sasuke had been enraged, but then he realized that marrying Sakura would advance two goals. First, he had a kunoichi with whom to breed more Uchiha and second, marrying Sakura would be a strong strike to the Dobe. As he listened to her inane babble about how happy she was and how excited she was to be his wife, Sasuke began to regret his choice.

_Married for five minutes and I already want to strangle her just to shut her up_. With a grunt, Sasuke lead Sakura towards his compound but in his mind all he could think was _Damn you Dobe!_

* * *

At the Namikaze Estate, things were just straight chaos. Someone had let Lee have sake and after an amazing amount of damage, Tsunade had finally bludgeoned the boy into unconsciousness. Being surrounded by people tended to make Naruto a bit twitchy so he escaped the crowd into the garden after attending to his duties as host. He wasn't terribly surprised to find Gaara there. He suspected Gaara wasn't terribly fond of crowds either. Carefully approaching him - a startled Gaara was likely to be a lethal one - Naruto sat down next to his new brother-in-law.

"Evening Brother." He said, leaning back to watch the sunset over the trees of the garden.

"Good evening, Brother" Gaara replied with his usual monotone. Sitting in silence suited the two jinchuriki as they watched the sunset. After a few minutes Naruto decided to break the companionable silence.

"Ne, Gaara, I have a favor to ask of you."

"You require a favor from me?" Gaara asked with some disbelief. People did not simply ask him for favors. The only thing close he could think of was people begging him not to kill them. Until recently, he'd been disinclined to listen so doing a favor was something new.

"Yeah" Naruto responded as he began to pace. "I've been doing what I can to try to make Temari happy but I know, even if she won't admit it, that she misses you, Kankuro and the desert."

"I'm... happy.. that you are concerned about my sister's happiness," Gaara said picking his words carefully. "I fail to see what you need from me."

"Well, how much sand can you make?" Naruto asked.

The corner of his mouth twitched up as Gaara replied.

"Naruto, I can make as much sand as I want."

"That's awesome! Datteboyo!" Naruto exclaimed, jumping up fist raised in triumph. "Okay, so as you can see, I have a lot of ground here, and I want you to turn that corner to the south into a desert. Ino said she'll get some native plants, so we can make it just like Suna."

Gaara blinked at the odd request but was saved from responding as Temari came swooped out of the sky on her fan.

"That's very sweet of you husband," She said "but I really don't need you to do something like that." Temari wrapped Gaara up in a hug. "Hello again little brother. The crowd has thinned out some if you want to head back to the house." Gaara nodded his thanks and headed back to the house pausing when Temari spoke up again. "Gaara, thank you for escorting me at the wedding."

Gaara nodded solemnly and his mouth twitched into his almost smile, "You are welcome Temari."

Watching her brother leave, Temari wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. Her little brother was still doing well even without he - it was a bittersweet feeling. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that Naruto looked very proud as he watched her brother and it hit her then that Naruto might be even happier about Gaara's reformation then she was. The insight told her that Naruto had viewed Gaara as a brother even before the marriage. _That's not a bad thing either_ she thought.

"Come along Little Husband." She said with a smirk, linking her arm with his. "We still have some guests."

Temari laughed at his pouting and mutters of "I'm not that short" as she guided him back to the reception. It didn't take too long for the remainder of the guests to leave and Naruto grudgingly created clones to clean up the mess. Ignoring the grumbling of the clones, Naruto headed inside to find Temari wearing a robe and waiting for him.

"Ah, I have been waiting for you, Husband." She said as he entered the house. "I have prepared the bath for you. I shall wash your back."

It didn't quite sound like an offer.

Naruto eyed Temari warily, fairly certain she had gone crazy.

"That's fine Temari-chan, but I can wash myself you know."

Temari felt her eye twitching in irritation.

"Okay, that's obviously not gonna work." She said, her irritation at her husband's dense nature boiling over as said husband inched towards the stairs. "Naruto, it's our wedding night."

"Yeah, and that means what?" Naruto asked curiously.

Taking a deep breath, and throttling back some of the temper she was infamous for, Temari smiled sweetly at him.

"Naruto, its our _wedding_ night."

"Yes, I know that, I'm not getting why you're stressing it though?"

"Oh for Kami's sake Naruto, did you, or did you not get 'the talk' from Tsunade-sama a week ago?"

Blushing Naruto stared at his feet.

"Yeah, but what does that have to do with anything?"

Temari glared at her husband.

"You know, if I didn't know for a fact that this isn't an act, I would kill you painfully!" Taking a deep breath, Temari decided that it was best to stop dancing around the subject. "Naruto, on the wedding night, the wedding is consummated." Seeing his blank stare, Temari damn near screamed in frustration. "It means we have sex Baka Husband! Why do you think my brothers are staying at a hotel?"

"Oh!" Naruto said, still staring at his feet. "That's okay, you don't have to Temari-chan. I know you don't really want to."

Sighing, Temari palmed her face.

"Its not that simple Naru-kun. Our marriage isn't really considered valid until it's consummated which means we really don't have a choice tonight." Noting the rather frightened look on her husbands face, Temari forced herself to smile at him. "Alright look, go wash up and then go to your room. I'll take care of this, okay?"

"Alright, Temari-chan." Naruto mumbled as he headed to the bathroom to clean up.

Watching him go, Temari had to resist the urge to tear her top ponytails out in sheer frustration. This was not a problem she had ever considered, not that she had ever really thought about it really. _Alright, so he is like a much nicer version of Gaara. It's not that he doesn't want me, I could see that in his eyes but.. ahh, that's it, he's scared. So, how do I get him to relax? It would be so much easier to just forget about this but questions will be asked and I don't think he could lie about this in a believable manner. Tch, how troublesome. Oh, I did not just think that!_ Deciding on a course of action, Temari headed to Naruto's room to prepare.

Naruto dressed himself in his usual sleeping clothes, boxers and a t-shirt and hesitantly headed to his room. It wasn't that he didn't want to be with Temari - she was hot with a capital h-o-t - but he really wanted her to want him. Being forced just didn't feel right to him and anyone that knew Naruto knew about his rather overdeveloped sense of justice.

Opening the door he blinked in confusion, the room was dark, lit by small candles placed about the space, shadows dancing in the room. Temari glided across the room to him with a low chuckle, taking his hand, she lead him to the bed and sat him on the edge. Naruto was very confused. When he left her to bathe, Temari had seemed angry and irritated, but the woman in front of him showed no signs of frustration or anger. She seemed rather serene which wasn't really something he associated with Temari at all. He flinched when she ran her hand over his cheek.

"Gomen Temari-chan." he whispered. "I've always been alone, I'm not use to being touched."

He turned his face away from her, embarrassed at his confession.

_Dear Kami, _Temari thought to herself. _What the hell did this village do to him? It shouldn't be this __**damn difficult**__ to seduce a teenage boy, especially when we're freaking __**married**__!_ With a throaty chuckle, Temari gently brought Naruto's face back to hers.

Meeting his eyes, she almost drowned at the depth they showed, the pain and loneliness normally hidden from the world. Slowly, so as not to startle him, she leaned forward placing her forehead against his. Cupping his cheek, she gently ran her thumb along one of the whisker marks on his face and she felt him relax slightly. Pulling back just a bit, she stared him straight in the eyes.

"Naruto," She said gently "You don't have to be alone anymore. For better or worse, I will always be with you." She was amazed at the dawning hope she saw in his eyes and she nearly smirked when she noticed a bit of lust as well.

_Finally, some progress. Now I just have to get him to relax some more and then we can get down to business. _She mentally smacked herself. _Don't think like that Temari or you'll end up scaring him off. _Ignoring the byplay in her head as an unneeded distraction, Temari softly kissed him.

This time, he didn't fight her and the kiss rapidly deepened. When Naruto wrapped his arms around her, she felt a jolt that almost seemed to curl her toes. Breaking off, she panted, out of breath. _Kamisama, what was __**that**__? _Naruto had a downcast look and Temari blinked as she realized he thought she had broken the kiss because it was bad. She frowned a bit as she realized again that for all his undeniable strength, her husband could also be very fragile. When he tried to pull away from her, Temari pulled him up against her chest.

"No, you can't get way that easy Naru-kun." She said with a teasing lilt to her voice.

Relaxing at the tone Temari used, Naruto was still somewhat confused. If she wasn't angry because he was a bad kisser, why had she pulled away?

"Gomen Temari-chan, I promise I'll get better at kissing."

Hearing that, Temari went a bit wide-eyed. _He wants to get better? He damn near knocked me out with the last one!_ Chuckling low in her throat again, Temari pushed Naruto back further onto the bed.

"Lose the shirt Naru-kun." His flush of embarrassment when he did as she instructed amused her, and she mentally whistled at his revealed physique. _I knew he took his training seriously but damn he is pretty buff for his age. Wonder why he hides it behind those bulky jackets? _

"Alright, now lay down on your stomach."

To his credit, Naruto did as he was told, but he was curious.

"Ne, Temari-chan? Why?"

"I'm going to give you a massage." Temari responded as she undid the obi of her robe. Shrugging the robe off, Naruto had no clue that she was standing behind him in the nude. Straddling his waist, Temari began to work his shoulders, occasionally running her nails lightly down his back.

Naruto was in heaven, he had no idea that simple touch could feel so good, and when she ran her nails down his back, he just didn't know how to describe it. As he blissed out, a stray thought struck him. _If it feels this good, I should really learn how to do it, and repay her._ Feeling extremely turned on, Naruto rolled over on his back and froze when he saw her. _So beautiful, those legs, and those curves. She is so beautiful._

"Temari-chan?"

Silencing him with a finger on his lips, Temari leaned down to kiss him.

"Shhh, don't worry, I want this."

The night wasn't perfect of course - neither had any experience and mistakes were made. Perfect would have been the scions of the Yondaime Kazekage and Hokage. No, it was simply Naruto and Temari and the night was filled with giggles, gasps and moans. It was late in the night when the teens finally fell asleep wrapped in each others arms.

* * *

Across town, things weren't as happy. Sakura was curled up in the corner of the bathroom, tears streaming down her face. She didn't understand it. She had won, gotten the man she had chased for years. Why wasn't she happy? She'd dreamed of marrying her Sasuke-kun but it had been nothing like she wanted. She was suppose to heal his heart and they would be happy together forever, so why was he so cold?

She held her hand up to examine her ring, the one that marked her as Sasuke's. Why was she suddenly seeing it as chain? Why was she feeling that she may have made a huge mistake? Forcing her sore body to move, Sakura shuffled back to her bed and curled into a ball. Muffling her sobs in her pillow, she let the tears come.

* * *

Morning dawned, bright and early and Naruto jerked awake at a pounding on his bedroom door.

"Naruto!" Ino yelled from the other side. "Hokage-sama told me to come get you and take you and Temari to her office. Get up ya lazy bum!"

Tiredly Naruto shook Temari's shoulder.

"Come on Temari-chan, Baa-Chan wants to see us." He said around a yawn.

"Masdighgqksfa!" Temari mumbled into her pillow.

Translating that to mean, "Its to damn early for this shit", Naruto felt himself agreeing. Ino pounded on the door again and Naruto casually asked Temari if she thought there was somewhere on the grounds they could hide Ino's body.

Not getting a response, Naruto noticed Temari had fallen back asleep. _Oh, how I wish I could_ he thought blearily. When Ino pounded on the door and yelled again, Naruto stalked over and threw the door open.

"Alright already." He yelled at the suddenly pink-faced kunoichi. Naruto found himself further irritated as Ino just stood there growing redder. "What?"

Blushing, Ino couldn't say anything just pointed down, and Naruto realized it was somewhat drafty. Glancing down, he suddenly realized he wasn't wearing any clothes and ducked behind the door, hands clasped over his crotch.

"Okay, I'm awake. Go wait downstairs Ino-chan!" He called from his hiding spot. "Oh and Ino-chan, this **never **happened! Got it?"

Squeaking a bit in response, Ino darted downstairs to wait, face still flaming.

Quickly getting dressed, Naruto headed downstairs and brewed Temari her morning tea. He figured that she was going to need it if he wanted to see her get out of bed anytime soon. Ignoring Ino, who was sitting in the living room staring off into space, Naruto loaded several breakfast items on a tray with the tea and went to wake his wife, again.

Temari woke to the smell of raspberry tea and the feel of a soft kiss on the crown of her head. Groggily looking up, she saw a tray with breakfast and Naruto stirring sugar into a mug of tea.

"Good Morning Temari-chan." He said. "Baa-Chan wants us in her office. She sent Ino to get us so I brought you breakfast." Smiling brightly, he picked up her robe and placed it near her on the bed. "I'm going to go get finish getting ready for the day. Meet you downstairs?"

Stretching out with a yawn, Temari nodded her agreement. Getting up from the bed, she slid her robe on and stretched to work out the some of the kinks - she was fairly sore from the night's activities but she'd had training sessions leave her in far worse shape so she wasn't really worried. Idly she noticed from the corner of her eye that Naruto was sort of staring off dreamily and the trickle of blood from his nose made her realize she had more or less flashed him when she got out of bed.

_Oh well, at least I know he finds me attractive. _Sighing, she lightly whacked him on the head to get his attention.

"Alright, I'm up, go do whatever it is you need to do and I'll meet you downstairs when I'm ready." Watching him more or less skip out the door, Temari rubbed her temples with another sigh. _He's a good guy, but no one should have that much energy in the morning._

Downstairs waiting for Temari, Naruto was amusing himself by seeing how close he could get to the spacing out Ino before she noticed. So far, he had managed to get almost to where he could reach out and touch her but he smirked as an idea struck him. Cupping his hands around his mouth, he yelled "**Good morning, Ino-chan**!". He laughed when the startled girl fell off the chair she was sitting on, but gulped when she stood up flushed with rage.

"**That's not funny, Naruto-Baka**!" The blonde screeched, first raised to smack him. The blow never landed as Temari arrived in time to catch the punch.

"Tsk Tsk Flowergirl." Temari said with her usual smirk, "You can't hit my husband" Hearing this, Naruto childishly stuck his tongue out at Ino. "Thats my job," Temari continued rolling her eyes as she whacked the back of Naruto's head.

Rubbing his head, Naruto whined.

"Temari-chan, that hurt!"

Temari rolled her eyes again while Ino giggled at the two.

"Good, it was supposed to."

Naruto was about to reply when Ino cut in.

"Not that this isn't amusing, but if I don't get you two to Tsunade-sama's office soon, she is gonna kill me."

Nodding, Naruto offered his arm to Temari and was somewhat surprised when she accepted and linked arms with him. _Odd, I didn't think she liked to show affection in public. Oh well, I'm not gonna complain._ As they followed Ino out into the village proper, Naruto noticed Temari was walking stiffly with a slight limp. Leaning closer to her, he whispered "Ne, Temari-chan? Are you alright?".

Whispering back, Temari reassured him.

"I'm fine Naruto, just a little sore from last night." Noticing the flash of sadness on his face Temari was quick to interject. "No, don't blame yourself for this. I promise you that you did nothing wrong. This is just what happens okay?"

Naruto searched her face, but seeing nothing but the truth of her words he forced himself to smile. She might be right and it was just what happened but he still wasn't happy he had hurt his Temari-chan. _Hmm, my Temari-chan huh? I guess she is._

The rest of the trip passed quickly, Temari and Naruto chatting pleasantly as they strolled arm in arm behind Ino. Entering the Hokage's office, Naruto and Temari both dropped into cautious stances when they saw Sasuke and Sakura were already there. Trading concerned glances, Temari slid back slightly to allow her a better angle to watch her husband's back. She wasn't truly expecting a fight, but it never hurt to be prepared.

Naruto was examining his former teammates and not liking what he saw. Sasuke stood stiffly wearing a dark blue kimono, Uchiha fan emblazoned on the back. His left arm, the one Naruto had blown off, was held in a sling under the kimono, making the formal robe seem slightly off, like it didn't quite fit. Naruto wasn't sure exactly how bad the damage his explosive clone had caused to Sasuke other then the arm, but the scars on his face had permanently taken the 'pretty boy' title from him.

What really struck Naruto was the visible hatred Sasuke showed when he caught sight of Naruto. Looking into his former friends eyes, Naruto could see Sasuke's desire to kill him. _Figures the Teme would blame me for what happened, _Naruto thought bitterly while keeping a bland expression on his face.

Keeping that fixed expression became much harder when he glanced at Sakura. She was dressed to match her husband, same dark kimono and crest but unlike Sasuke who was actively glaring at everyone in the room, Sakura seemed to be trying to sink into her kimono and disappear. Naruto caught her gazing sadly at Temari and his blood boiled when he saw the unhappiness in her face. Realizing that he would not be able to do anything, Naruto briefly turned back to face his wife.

Temari blinked when Naruto turned to face her and let her see his emotions. After a month together, she was fairly good at reading him and she could see how much the pinkie's unhappiness made him angry. Still, she was rather proud of him when he visibly bottled it up and resumed his poker face. _He knows he can't do or say anything now, but I suspect I haven't heard the last of this. I don't like her – she makes us kunoichi look like useless cheerleaders – but no one should look that unhappy the day after their wedding._Temari wasn't exactly an emotional woman, but even she couldn't help but feel at least some sympathy for Sakura.

Finishing the document she was working on, Tsunade looked up and read the currents in the room. _Fantastic_ she thought sarcastically. _The Uchiha wants to kill Naruto, Pinky looks like someone killed her puppy and Naruto looks like he wants to murder Sasuke right back. Knowing him, probably over how Sakura is acting. Still, at least one of these two couples looks solid. Naruto and Temari are standing rather close to each other._ Thinking on that, a wide smile that scared the crap out of Naruto spread across her face as she mentally rubbed her hands in glee. _Muhaha, I wonder how long it will be till I have blonde grand-babies!?_ Mentally shifting gears, Tsunade stood and addressed the boys in front of her.

"As you are aware, with your marriages, you are both now considered the heads of your respective clans." Both nodded in response and Tsunade continued. "I've called you here today to inform you of that and to take you to your first council meeting. For an open session like today, the respective Clan Heads will have their heirs attending so you will see some familiar faces. Since neither of you have children of age, your wives will sit in as heirs." Again both boys nodded and Tsunade was actually fairly disturbed that Naruto hadn't spoken - it was odd. "Very well, Uchiha, you and your wife may head to the council room. I need to speak briefly with the Uzumaki family regarding unrelated business."

With a curt bow, Sasuke stalked from the room followed by Sakura. As the doors closed, Tsunade turned to the boy she considered her more or less adopted son.

"Talk!" She commanded.

"Gomen, Baa-Chan," Naruto sighed. "I was having a hard time not punching the Teme so I thought I should just stay quiet."

Raising an eyebrow, Tsunade considered her words carefully.

"Naruto, I know what was making you upset, but I shouldn't have to remind you that you're married now, and so is Sakura. You can't still chase after her."

Waving his hands defensively, Naruto uttered a denial.

"No, no, you got it wrong Baa-Chan. I know that and I'm not still chasing her. Its hard to explain but when I saw how unhappy she was, I was just really mad."

Temari stepped up and entered the conversation.

"Hokage-sama, I've talked to my husband about this before and I think I might be able to explain a bit better than him. Naruto is a person that defends whats precious to him with all that he is, and I think he has sort of shifted Sakura out of a romantic category and into more of a sister type role. So when he saw her looking so upset, it was more like a protective brother then a prospective lover."

Tsunade drummed her fingers on the desk as she considered that - it did make sense, and as she noticed earlier, Temari and Naruto were standing far closer together than strictly necessary. She allowed a smirk onto her face, "So, how was the wedding night?"

"**Baa-chan**?"

Palming her face at Naruto's outburst, Temari replied, "It went well Hokage-sama, the treaty obligations were taken care of without issue."

She couldn't finish he sentence without blushing though. Ignoring the knowing grin on Tsunade's face, and the muttered curses about evil old hags from her husband, Temari felt it was a good idea to change the subject.

Gomen Hokage-sama, but don't we have a council meeting to attend?"

Tsunade did a double take when she glanced at the clock.

"Shit," She muttered. "We're running behind." Motioning Naruto and Temari towards the door, she noticed Temari's stiff gait. "Temari, would you like me to heal you? The seats in the council chamber aren't comfortable and you seem sore."

Temari groaned as she considered her options. Yes, she did want healed but Tsunade was smirking at her and it was embarrassing. _Oh well, I'm already embarrassed might as well be comfortable as well._

"Thank you for your generous offer Hokage-sama, I would appreciate it." She managed to say fairly levelly.

The green glow of medical chakra covered Tsunade's hands as she ran a standard diagnostic while she healed the girl. An odd feedback caused her to frown and she carefully scanned the girl again. Her eyes widened in surprise and she stepped back, her mind whirling.

"Baa-Chan? You alright?" Naruto asked her, concerned by her behavior.

"Yeah, I'm fine Naruto," Tsunade responded. "But I think we're going to be further delayed to the council meeting."

Stepping back to her desk, Tsunade activated the seal that called Shizune, and the room was silent during the brief wait. As soon as Shizune entered, Tsunade instructed her to go inform the council that the meeting was to be delayed until noon as something required her attention. As Shizune left to carry out her instructions, Tsunade waked back to Naruto and Temari.

"Alright you two, we're headed to the hospital."

Exchanging confused glances, Naruto shrugged and Temari spoke up.

"Excuse me Hokage-sama, but why are we headed to the hospital?"

"I need to check up on something." Tsunade replied evasively.

"Exactly what are you checking up on?" Temari asked with some heat.

Tsunade sighed.

"Fine, we're going to confirm or deny what I think I found."

Temari clenched her hand into a fist as Tsunade refused to answer again.

"Why are we going to the hospital, what did you find when you healed me?"

Tsunade pinched the bridge of her nose, "I think you're pregnant. Already."

* * *

Omake- Shogi Wars

"Naruto, have I ever mentioned how troublesome you are" Shikamaru groaned staring at the shogi board in his thinking pose.

"I'm sure you've mentioned it before" Naruto replied with a wide grin.

Shikamaru finally made his move, and Naruto reached down and instantly countered causing Shikamaru to narrow his eyes in frustration. Naruto's random move had completely changed the flow of the game, _again_, and the Nara was forced back into his thinking pose.

"Come on." Naruto whined "Even Temari doesn't take as long to move as you do."

Aforementioned girl was not amused by her fiance's comment. Smiling sweetly at him, "What was that Naruto?"

"N Nothing Temari-chan," He stuttered out nervously.

"Thats what I thought." She said smugly.

Shikamaru finally made his move and once again, Naruto simply reached down and moved at random.

"Ne, I think that's checkmate Shikamaru." he said confidently.

Shikamaru's eyes widened in surprise as he scanned the board. Dropping back into his thinking pose, he was astonished to find Naruto was correct, at best he could draw the game out a handful of moves.

"Yeah, I guess it is Naruto," he acknowledged in defeat.

Temari jumped up and pointed.

"See, its not just me. How the hell do you **do** that?" she asked Naruto.

He shrugged in response.

"Like I told you Temari-chan, I just look at it like a battle and the moves come just come to me."

Shikamaru sighed.

"Mendokusei."

_**"You rush a miracle worker, you get lousy miracles!" **_  
_** ― Jim Butcher, Small Favor **_

**AN**

**Well, there's another chapter done. I did a small amount of research on Shinto weddings then sort of mixed and matched for the ceremony used here. Did get a kick out of the idea of Naruto jokingly suggesting Temari wear the bride hat that says she'll be gentle and obedient. Had a mental image of him being hit really hard by a fan for that. I tried to do a small compare and contrast between both the wedding and wedding nights Naruto and Sasuke had. I'm not a fan of bashing but in this story, Sasuke now really hates Naruto and wants to kill him almost as bad as he wants to kill Itachi. We can also expect Hebi-Teme will NOT be pleased that Naruto crippled Sasuke, still figuring out how exactly I want to work that in. Reminds me though, I'm not really a fan of lemon, I prefer the discretion shot but I do hope I did justice to Naruto and Temari's nuptials. o7 See you guys later.**


	8. An Unfortunate Encounter

**Disclaimer- Nope, still don't own Naruto, but a guy can dream right?**

**_Who has an awesome Beta, I do. Thanks to So Said the Dragon for putting up with my insanity._**

**_"On the whole, we're a murderous race. According to Genesis, it took as few as four people to make the planet too crowded to stand, and the first murder was a fratricide. Genesis says that in a fit of jealous rage, the very first child born to mortal parents, Cain, snapped and popped the first metaphorical cap in another human being. The attack was a bloody, brutal, violent, reprehensible killing. Cain's brother Abel probably never saw it coming. As I opened the door to my apartment, I was filled with a sense of empathic sympathy and intuitive understanding. For freaking Cain."_**  
**_― Jim Butcher, Dead Beat_ **

* * *

Tsunade frowned as she gazed out of her office window at the village. She hadn't expected something like this, but she knew she should have. After all, since when was Naruto anything close to normal?

Several hours at the hospital had proven her to be correct, the odd feedback from when she healed Temari had indeed been another faint chakra signature. What was extremely frustrating was that she had failed to cover contraception when she had 'the Talk' with Naruto -she'd just assumed the kunoichi had known. Unfortunately, and completely obvious in hindsight, Temari had always been intended for a team with her brothers and no one had bothered to teach it to her.

Politically, the news was great. The announcement of an heir to the Uzumaki and Namikaze clans had gone over with cheers and whistles at the council meeting and the Sunagakure representatives and the Wind and Fire Daimyos were all pleased.

On a personal level, Tsunade was convinced that this was a disaster. She mentally cursed at her earlier thoughts about blonde grand-babies, just her luck the Gaki would have knocked his wife up on their wedding night. She really wasn't worried about Temari, the girl was fairly levelheaded and had taken the news more or less in stride after destroying part of a training ground with her fan. No, the real problem was Naruto. There was no way he was ready for something like this and add in the fact that a child would make him far more vulnerable as a target.. _Kami what a mess. _

Unable to resist anymore, Tsunade slid her desk drawer open and pulled out her 'emergency sake' and took a pull straight from the jar. She was concerned that Naruto had disappeared after the council meeting but she had a fairly good idea where he was. Glancing at the Hokage monument, she saw a small dot sitting on the Yondaime's head. According to Kakashi, that was where Naruto always retreated when he needed time to think things over. _Now that he knows about his heritage, maybe it's also his way of talking with his father_ she mused.

"Hey Hime," Jiraiya said, hopping in through the window. "You know you're pulling me away from valuable research right?"

"Can it, you old pervert." She snapped testily. "There are far more important things now then you peeping."

Jiraiya dropped his facade, showing the serious shinobi hidden beneath his usual exterior.

"I've heard." He sighed. "It's all over town already and I'd bet anything Iwa and Kumo will know by the end of the day. This is not a good thing Tsunade, this increases the danger he is in by a considerable amount. By himself or even just married, Naruto is really only threatened by Akatsuki. Add a child, even unborn, to the mix and I can see Kumo attempting to take the bloodline for themselves. Iwa will just want to crush it."

Tsunade rubbed her temples as she replied.

"Yes, I'm aware of the problems. The question is, what do we** do** about it?"

"We push him, Hime, We drive him to be as strong as he possibly can be, as fast as we possibly can."

"There are extreme risks to that." Tsunade said with a frown. "Push him too hard, he breaks and we lose him."

Standing up and heading out the window, Jiraiya paused, hand on the windowsill.

"Sometimes you just have to have a little faith, Hime. The Gaki is much stronger then most believe, all we have to do is help him along." He flashed her a pained smile. "We owe him at least that much, don't you think?"

Tsunade watched Jiraiya leave silently. _I guess the pervert's right. If anyone can handle this it's Naruto. Still, I can't help but worry._

* * *

Naruto sat on his father's head, idly spinning a Hiraishin kunai as he watched the sun set over the village. He was terribly confused and unbalanced and he had hoped sitting on his father's head would help clear his head. Chuckling he patted the stone with his free hand.

"Doesn't really work like that does it, Tou-san?" It wasn't like he was expecting the stone head to talk back, but it really was his only connection with his father other then the fox, and frankly, he really preferred the monument.

A rustle of cloth alerted him to company and he instantly snapped alert when he didn't recognize the chakra. Whipping to his feet, he dropped into a guard stance as he carefully scanned his surroundings. Just within the tree line was a tall, bulky man in strange red armor that seemed to be emitting steam. Between the scratch in his Iwagakure hitai-ate and the ominous aura, Naruto knew why he was there.

_Aww shit, the last time I felt a something like this, Gaara was trying to kill me. Don't tell me.._ He thought.

"Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto. Son of Konoha no Kiroi Senko. I am Han." The man's voice was impossibly deep for someone his size. "For the crimes of your clan, you shall die!"

The man charged forward with a punch that shattered the kunai Naruto tried to parry with.

Staring briefly at the shattered kunai, Naruto realized that he was in serious trouble. The power it would take to simply break a Hiraishin kunai was considerable and this man had just shattered one. _Why is it always me?_ He thought bitterly as he hurriedly evaded the furious onslaught. Flipping back to gain some space, Naruto released his gravity seals and formed the sign for his favorite technique.

"**Taju Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!**"

Han paused as his target suddenly multiplied. The Namikaze brat's technique was impressive, but he simply began popping clones as they charged. He was forced to use his steam to shield himself when the brat somehow combined wind and fire jutsu to send a firestorm at him.

Naruto observed with narrowed eyes as Han deflected his clones combined **Goukakyuu** and **Daitoppa** with what appeared to be steam. _What the hell? Steam?_ Fortunately the steam provided him with an opportunity and the clones nearest to Han rapidly ran through hand seals.

"**Suiton Suirou no Jutsu!**" The clones called out, condensing the steam into the water prison Zabuza had used against Kakashi in Wave. Seeing Han trapped, several clones charged and slammed rasengans into the man.

"Shit! Mud Clone!" Naruto swore when the trapped figure dissolved. Releasing the water prison, Naruto and his clones carefully searched their surroundings. A sudden burst of chakra was his only warning and he barely rolled out of the way as Han erupted from the ground beneath him.

Han watched as Naruto flipped back to his feet from his evasive roll. "Very impressive for one so young." He stated calmly. "I had hoped to do this quietly but I see I have no choice."

Naruto stared in horror as a blueish-white aura surrounded Han, one chakra tail swaying behind him. _Fuck!_ He thought, _He __**is**__ a Jinchuriki! What one is he?_ He only knew Han could not be the one-tail or the nine-tails – the honor or curse belonged to Gaara and himself. Holding his hand up, palm facing Han, Naruto called out.

"Stop, I do not wish to fight you Brother!"

Han's deep voice had more then an undercurrent of rage as he replied. "Brother? You are no brother of mine! How **dare **you call yourself such!"

"I see that you are a jinchuriki, like me. I do not wish to fight my own kind." Naruto replied sadly.

"Jinchuriki?" Han muttered in disbelief. "So the Great Namikaze couldn't resist making a Jinchuriki himself could he. Preaching peace, then creating a weapon, what a hypocrite."

"Don't talk about my father like that!" Naruto roared back. "My father sealed the Kyubi into me to save the village at the cost of his life!"

"Please." Han sneered back. "The Kyubi could have been sealed some other way, just like the other Biju. The only reason they are ever sealed into humans is to create a weapon for the village!"

"You're wrong!" Naruto cried.

"Perhaps," Han conceded. "but it won't be a concern for you after tonight."

Even with his gravity seals off, Naruto was barely able to kawarimi in time to avoid the bone crushing kick Han slammed into him. _Shit, shit,shit. He's a hell of a lot faster now_ Naruto thought in a near panic. Deciding to stall, Naruto hid himself among his clones as he considered and discarded various attack plans. He ran out of time when Han slammed his fist into the ground and the shock-wave dispelled his clones and threw him back through the air.

Naruto's flight was stopped as he slammed into what appeared to be a wall of sand. Shaking his head to clear the ringing caused by that last attack, Naruto saw Gaara standing next to him, arms crossed in his brother-in-law's favorite pose.

"Naruto." The boy said calmly. "Do you require assistance?"

"Gaara!" Naruto cried out happily. "Thank Kami. Yes, he's a jinchuriki."

Gaara nodded.

"Yes, that much is obvious. The beast is raging in my head over the power being used."

"Ahh, Gaara, you aren't gonna go all insane on me are you?" Naruto asked cautiously as Han paused to size up this new addition to the fight.

"Be at ease Naruto, I am here to help you." Gaara responded.

Dropping back into a battle stance, Naruto looked relieved.

"That's great! Let's get 'em!" He cried as he charged back into the fight.

Han was forced back onto the defensive as Gaara and Naruto teamed up against him. His power was enough that Gaara couldn't trap him with his sand, but whenever he was forced to break out, he would find Naruto or a clone waiting with a rasengan. The boys almost had him when Naruto - after quickly consulting with Gaara - decided to melt the sand into glass as Gaara trapped Han. Several Goukakyuu, used by clones surrounding Han, managed to entrap the man in a glass prison.

Standing next to Gaara, Naruto panted as he tried to regain his breath. There were times that he greatly envied Gaara's 'I'll just stand here and kill you with sand' approach to battle. A sudden surge of chakra snapped his head back to the glass prison and he cursed when Han broke free.

The sudden change in his opponent's appearance disturbed Naruto a great deal. Han was no longer a tall man in red armor. Instead, facing off against the boys was something else, something very frightening. A dark chakra cloak surrounded a quadrupedal figure. Chakra horns protruded from its head and five tails swung behind it, tearing the ground as they lashed.

"Gaara," Naruto said quietly "I think we're in trouble."

Gaara simply nodded.

The figure that had once been Han formed a ball and appeared to swallow it.

"SHIT!" Naruto screamed in terror. "I've read about this, bijudama, get out of the way!"

Shoving Gaara away from the attack, Naruto tried to dodge but was hit by the fringes of the attack, slamming him into a tree. Sliding down the trunk, Naruto stared in horror at the devastation caused by that single attack. A long trench started from where Han was standing and continued as far as Naruto could see through the forest away from the village. _Kami, it's a good thing I didn't dodge towards the village_, he thought in shock.

Gaara appeared by his side, bringing his attention back to the fight.

"Gaara, we have to get him away from the village." Naruto said, determination blazing in his eyes. Gaara nodded his agreement and the boys took to the trees to lead their fellow Jinchuriki away from the village.

* * *

In the village, alarms blared as shinobi rushed to get the civilians into shelters. The roof of the Hokage tower was the nerve center of the village defense. Tsunade, Jiraiya and the highest ranking officers were watching the battle using the Sandiame's old crystal ball.

"Damn it Jiraiya." Tsunade snapped at her teammate. "Why can't we go assist Naruto?"

"Hime, its a fight between Jinchuriki and one of them has already begun using Biju chakra. Any normal shinobi that tries to enter that fight will just be killed by the toxicity of that chakra. We already sent him the help we can give him when we sent Gaara. Right now, all we can do is protect the civilians and the village." Jiraiya didn't look pleased with his own words. He was worried that Tsunade might hit him and being dispelled would alert Tsunade that Jiraiya wasn't actually there.

The orders to protect the village and stay out of the fight were ignored by a certain blonde kunoichi. Gripping her fan tightly, Temari hurried to assist her brother and her husband. There was simply no way she was going to let her family fight without her.

* * *

Naruto and Gaara stopped when they reached a clearing filled with sand. Looking around, Naruto shot Gaara an amused glance.

"Well, this seems familiar."

"Yes, quite an ironic place to fight." Gaara replied with the usual small twitch of his mouth showing his own amusement.

"Yeah well, I'm just glad you're on my side this time." Naruto said, getting his game face back on as Han arrived at the far end of the clearing.

Gaara nodded as the boys observed the further change in Han's appearance. Sometime during the chase, Han had fully manifested and facing the boys was the full form of the Gobi. It resembled some sort of horse with a odd elongated head, horns randomly jutting from it. Five tails swung wildly behind it and it seemed to glare with malevolence at Naruto.

"So, you can turn into a giant sand thing, and he can turn into that horse thing. Am I the only Jinchuriki that can't or something?" Naruto whined at Gaara.

"Naruto," Gaara said calmly. "Whine later, fight now."

"Yeah, yeah, it just seems so unfair." Naruto complained. "Can you go full form and stay sane?"

"Yes, Shukaku is not released unless I use the false sleep jutsu."

"Alright, I think you had better do that. I'll summon Gamabunta." Biting his thumb and channeling as much chakra as he could, Naruto slammed his hand down. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"

The large plume of smoke cleared to reveal Naruto standing on Gamabunta's head.

"**Jiraiya, why have you summoned me!?**" The humongous toad yelled.

"Boss!" Naruto called to him, "Ero-Sennin didn't call you. I did."

Rolling his eye up, Bunta puffed his pipe.

"**Naruto? Why have you summoned me**?"

Pointing at the Gobi, Naruto yelled impatiently.

"Mostly cause that thing is trying to kill me!"

Gamabunta eyed the Gobi, and did a quick double take when Gaara in his full Shukaku form moved to his side. Gripping his blade, Gamabunta made to draw it and drive it though the sand but was stopped by Naruto.

"No Boss, Gaara is with us this time!"

"**Is that so? Hmm, you always find such interesting fights Gaki**."

Gaara's voice boomed from his sand construct, "**Naruto, I will move to occupy him, you and your summon find an appropriate time to strike.**"

"Gotcha Gaara!" Naruto called as he moved to engage the Gobi. "You got any ideas boss cause I've hit this guy with pretty much everything I've got so far."

"**We could try a collaboration technique. Do you know any fire jutsu?**" Gamabunta asked as he dove forward attempting to strike with his tanto.

"Yeah" Naruto yelled, "I know Goukakyuu. Will that work?"

Jumping back as Gaara physically grappled with the Gobi, Gamabunta responded, "**That should be perfect. When I use my jutsu, you need to light the oil with your fire. Gaara, get clear!**"

As Gaara backed off, Gamabunta spewed a stream of oil as Naruto created a fireball.

"**Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu**" Using the full seals and calling the jutsu allowed Naruto to create a much larger fireball then usual. It ignited the oil stream creating a jet of flame that struck the Gobi dead center. Naruto's shout of triumph was cut short when a tail came flying out of the smoke. Gamabunta managed to deflect the blow from Naruto but took the hit in his shoulder.

"Boss, you okay?" Naruto yelled worriedly as Gaara moved back in to occupy the Gobi.

"**I'll be fine Gaki**," Gamabunta boomed back "**But I need to return and heal.**" Grabbing Naruto with his tongue, Gamabunta placed Naruto on the ground then dispelled. Not one to say out of a fight, Naruto bounded up to stand on Gaara's Shukaku form.

"Gaara, you got any ideas, 'cause I can't seem to hurt this thing!" Naruto called from his new perch.

Gaara emerged from the sand next to Naruto.

"I can bring out Shukaku." He offered.

Naruto stared at Gaara in disbelief, "I would really prefer not to."

"We may not have much choice. A Biju may be the only option."

"Gaara, Shukaku possibly hates me even more then he hates you. Let's call that a last resort. I have an idea. Buy me some time."

"What do you plan to do?" Gaara questioned, launching more sand shuriken at the Gobi.

"I'm going to talk to the Fox." Naruto responded as he sat down on the sand.

* * *

Rushing through the sewer, Naruto quickly arrived at the Kyubi's prison. Rattling the bars, Naruto yelled, "Oi, Fox, Wake up!"

"**Well hello, Warden.**" The Fox sneered at him. "**I assume you're here for your 'rent'**?"

"Look, I don't have time to fight with you." Naruto yelled back at the Fox. "I assume you know what's happening?"

The Fox snorted.

"**Of course I do, mortal,. You got yourself into a fight with the Gobi and now you need my help because you are a pathetic fool of a mortal.**"

Gritting his teeth, Naruto banged his forehead on the bars.

"Yeah, that sounds about right, you egotistical Teme of a Fox. Now, can you help or are you really that worthless?" He sneered back.

"**Silence you fool!**" The Fox roared back. "**It is not my doing that has landed us in this mess, but I suppose I cannot have that five-tailed freak claim victory over me. You may have your chakra, now****_ leave_****!**" A wave of red chakra shoved Naruto back out of his mind.

* * *

Opening his eyes, Naruto was seeing red, quite literally. Glancing behind him, he noticed a red chakra tail bubbling and his hands appeared to be claws. Jumping off Gaara, Naruto began to claw and rip his way around the forelegs of the Gobi in an almost berserker-like state. Unlike earlier wounds that healed instantly, the damage Naruto was inflicting with his claws stayed open and seemed to bleed chakra. Elated at finally being able to harm his foe, Naruto charged a rasengan and slammed it into the leg in front of him. He was rewarded when the leg buckled and the Gobi screamed in pain.

Gaara, always a combat pragmatist, immediately enclosed the limb in sand and crushed it. A sadistic smile crossed his face as he and Naruto gained the upper hand in the fight. It seemed he could always find a good fight with Naruto around.

* * *

Back in the village, a small crowd that had gathered around the viewing orb cheered as the boys began to take charge of the fight. Most of the Jonin watching the fight had been extremely worried when Naruto and Gaara couldn't seem to make damage stick to the Biju. They could feel the chakra flares from the fight clearly even at this distance and most were amazed at the power being used. There had been concern when Naruto manifested a chakra tail - a fight involving a Biju certainly brought back memories of the Kyubi attack even 13 years later. It was obvious from his actions that the boy was in control, which greatly reduced those fears. After all, it was highly unlikely Kyubi knew how to use a rasengan.

For the few Sunagakure Jonin watching, the fact that Gaara was fully manifested but working with an ally was very welcome news. Many in Sunagakure had been highly suspicious when Gaara returned from the failed invasion and began trying to work his way through the Shinobi ranks. The drop in body count was welcome but many were very cautious in believing Gaara had truly reformed. The current battle was proof that Gaara had indeed changed and several prominent Sunagakure jonin began to consider the currently empty Kazekage position thoughtfully.

* * *

Having finished one of the Gobi's legs, Naruto and Gaara focused on the other foreleg. If they could cripple it, the fight was more or less done. Naruto, excited and running on the Kyubi's blood-lust, mistakenly moved into a position where the Gobi could swipe at him with its tails. He was saved from a great deal of pain when a sudden wind slammed into the attacking tail driving it back.

Glancing over, Naruto saw Temari standing in a tree near the edge of the clearing, her fan held ready. His wife was obviously frightened - two fully manifested Biju and another chakra cloaked Jinchuriki were the stuff of nightmares for normal shinobi. A long range fighter, Temari was obviously not going to get in close, but she was still here, fighting with her family.

* * *

Back in Konoha, Tsunade was cursing the fool girl - she was going to get herself killed and then the shit would well and truly hit the fan. News of her pregnancy had already spread – if she died, a war with Sunagakure was all but unavoidable, and to that end, they had allies in Kumogakure and Iwagakure. On a personal level, Tsunade liked the girl, and couldn't imagine what her death would do to Naruto. For the first time in many years, Tsunade found herself praying to whatever deities might be listening for the girls safety. _Please, just stay alive, all three of you ...__s_he pleaded in her mind.

* * *

Confident Temari had his back, Naruto dived back into the fight. The Gobi had wised up and wasn't allowing him time for more then quick hit and run slashes at its leg. Several times, Naruto had close calls, saved by timely attacks from his wife hidden back in the trees.

Seeing Naruto stalemated, Gaara moved in on the Gobi's opposite side, forcing the Biju to divide its attention. The Gobi still had enough power to deflect Gaara's attacks but it couldn't afford to ignore him, his sand was still very dangerous if unchecked.

From her perch in the trees, Temari saw what her brother was doing and worried. It was true that Naruto needed a diversion to strike even with her covering him, but with Gaara on the other side, she was worried about possibly harming him. Her eyes widened and she dropped to the ground seeking cover when she saw the horse looking thing create a giant ball of chakra and eat it. She didn't know what it was doing but she didn't think it was a good thing.

The released bijudama cored through Gaara's sand, leaving a smoking glass hole through the body of his Shukaku form. It was fortunate for Gaara that the sand absorbed the blow and sheltered him from the strike but he was out of the fight until he could reform most of his sand torso. He was just glad the Gobi hadn't aimed for the head, that attack would have killed him.

Naruto growled as the Gobi focused all its attention on him. He was forced to simply dodge and avoid a wide variety of strikes from its leg, its tails and its head. This did not allow for him to attack and he felt his frustration mounting rapidly.

Inside the seal, Kyubi was watching the events with a great deal of interest. He was stuck here until he could find some way around or through the Shinigami's seal and loathe though he was to admit it, his current container was at least more interesting the the previous two. The ningen was doing fairly well against the Gobi, which was good. It would be unseemly for he, the Kyubi no Kitsune to be defeated by that five-tailed horse freak. As Naruto was forced to stay on the defensive, Kyubi glared at the bars holding it. If only it was free to put that thing in its place.

Gaara finally managed to fill the hole in his sand torso and rejoined the battle. The Gobi was not expecting him to recover that fast and its mistake cost it the use of one of its tails. Gaara managed to crush it before the Gobi began to counter his attacks again.

Naruto, freed up by Gaara rejoining the fight, was finally able to slam a rasengan into the Gobi's other foreleg. Denied the use of its front legs, the Gobi crashed to the ground, tails flailing violently. As both Gaara and Naruto moved in for the kill, the Gobi proved it was still dangerous with a concentrated chakra pulse that destroyed Gaara's sand body. Seeing his brother-in-law falling, Naruto dashed over and caught the red-head before he hit the ground. Seeing that Gaara was fine, Naruto turned back to the Gobi with a savage growl as he attacked.

Out of chakra, Gaara retreated to his sister's position in the trees.

"Temari." He said wearily. "You shouldn't be here."

Temari spared a glance from the battle at her brother. The only time she had even seen Gaara look this worn was after his fight with Naruto in the invasion.

"Sorry little brother." She said, turning her attention back to the battle and getting ready to launch another attack. "There was no way I was going to let my boys fight something like this without me."

Gaara stared at her, confused. He was happy that his sister had come to fight with him, but he was afraid for her safety. Shaking his head to clear his confusion, he sank down on the branch to meditate. Since he could not sleep without Shukaku devouring his mind and soul, he learned to meditate after his defeat by Naruto to rest his body and mind. What interested him now was that as a side effect, it allowed him to regain his chakra much faster then he would otherwise – much like the restorative powers of sleep for normal shinobi.

Naruto was getting tired and even more frustrated. He could hit and hurt the Gobi but he was nowhere near landing a finishing blow. The only true weak point he could see was possibly its face but the head was still dangerous._Tch, its like one of those final boss battles in those rpgs Shikamaru likes to play. If only this thing had an arrow pointing at its weaknesses._ To make matters worse, even with Kyubi's chakra, he was getting tired. He couldn't keep this up for long. He also couldn't break off to rest because the Gobi would use the time to heal. For the first time in the battle, Naruto found himself pretty much out of moves and that worried him considerably.

Sensing its attacker weakening, the Gobi decided to strike the irritants in the trees with its tails. This turned out to be a fatal mistake.

Seeing the tails lash towards his wife and brother-in-law, Naruto in his anger drew forth far more of the Kyubi's chakra. A second tail formed behind the speeding figure as he intercepted the tail aimed at his family.

**"Don't you dare touch them!"** He roared as he tore the tail completely off the Gobi.

Using the extra power, Naruto overcharged a rasengan with the Kyubi's chakra, and moving so fast he was a crimson blur slammed it through the Gobi's chest. Screaming in pain, Han was forced out of his fully manifested form and driven to his knees. Clutching weakly at the ground, he began to laugh bitterly at his defeat by children.

Standing over him, Naruto began to form a rasengan to finish Han when his chakra cloak dropped. Without Kyubi's chakra boosting him, Naruto fell straight onto his face in front of Han. As he dropped unconscious seeing Temari's worried face, the last sound he heard was "Sabaku Soso!" followed by a sickening crunch.

Hidden in the trees, Jiraiya allowed himself a small smile. For a moment he thought he would have to interfere but the Gaki was improving very well. Glancing at the barely visible Hokage Monument, he dipped his head. _You would be proud Minato._

_**"How busy are you today?"**_

_**"Oh," he [Thomas] mused. "I don't know. I mean, I've got to get a new shirt now."**_

_**"After that," I asked, "would you like to help me save the city? If you don't already have plans."**_

_**He snorted. "You mean, would I like to follow you around, wondering what the hell is going on because you won't tell me everything, then get in a fight with something that is going to leave me in intensive care?"**_

_**"Uh-huh," I said, nodding, "pretty much."**_

_**"Yeah," he said. "Okay."**_  
_**― Jim Butcher, Cold Days** _

AN

Alright, that's another chapter down. Interestingly enough, I didn't actually plan this chapter in my outlines, the idea simply struck me this afternoon when I was conversing with several people that were kind enough to review this story. There was concern about Naruto not being strong enough to protect his family and frankly I agreed. I was browsing the Narutopedia and came across Han, an Iwa Jinchuriki and thought, 'Hmm, I wonder if I can use him to boot Naruto's butt in gear.' This chapter was the result, hope you like it.


	9. One long day

**Disclaimer- Nope, I don't own Naruto**

**_All Hail the Beta. Long Live So Said the Dragon! FWOOSH!_**

"_There is a primal reassurance in being touched, in knowing that someone else, someone close to you, wants to be touching you. There is a bone-deep security that goes with the brush of a human hand, a silent, reflex-level affirmation that someone is near, that someone cares."_

― _Jim Butcher, White Night _

* * *

Naruto woke to both a migraine and the dripping of the pipes in his mindscape. Struggling to his feet, he rubbed his fingers on his temples to ease the pain. He noticed Kyubi smirking at him from his cage, or at least he thought it was a smirk - there were an awful lot of teeth involved.

"Hey Fox," He called out to his prisoner. "We won right?"

Kyubi sneered, "**If by win you mean, draw too much of my power, collapse like the pathetic meat-bag you are and then be saved by that fool Shukaku torments then yes, you won."**

"Well, aren't you just as friendly and cheerful as ever." Naruto remarked dryly, not really feeling like getting into a shouting match with the Fox. "So what happened?"

Kyubi regarded his unwanted host critically. Apparently the annoying little ningen was going to be polite today. Deciding that it cost him nothing and could potentially gain him advantages in the future, Kyubi decided to be 'nice'.

"**As I told you flesh-sack, you drew too much of my power and you collapsed. Your pathetic little body can not handle ****_my_**** power at such a degree.**" _**This being polite thing isn't that bad**_ Kyubi told himself ignoring Naruto's eye twitch and clenched fists. "**So, after your stupidity caused you to almost get ****_me_**** killed, you fainted like a little girl and here you are.**"

Ignoring the almost overwhelming urge see how well the Kyubi liked getting hit in the face with a rasengan, Naruto ground out through gritted teeth.

"Fine, be that way, so why am I here?"

The massive Fox shrugged, "**There could be many reasons.**"

"Oi, if you don't know just say so!" Naruto yelled back. Kyubi ignored him and tucked his tails under his muzzle and pretended to sleep, snores and all. Naruto frowned and bit back a curse as he mentally visualized running Kyubi through a meat-grinder. Not very practical but oh so very satisfying. Feeling a mental tug, Naruto realized he was waking up. With one last glare at Kyubi, Naruto vanished from his mindscape.

* * *

Returning to the waking world, Naruto groaned when the first thing he saw was white. _Fantastic, back in the hospital again_ he mentally sighed. The second thing he noticed was a hand gently running through his hair. Without moving his head, Naruto looked over to see Temari sitting in the chair next to his bed, absently stroking her hand through his hair as she stared off into the distance.

"Temari-chan?"

Temari whipped her hand back and blushed - she hadn't noticed him waking up and was very embarrassed by her show of affection. Of course then she realized that this was her husband and they were alone. That was when she mentally berated herself for acting like a girl with a crush. _Wait, is it even possible to have a crush on your own husband_, she thought.

Naruto was cautiously watching the emotions play across his wife's face with increasing concern. He wasn't sure exactly what was wrong with her, but he prayed she didn't end up blaming him for whatever it was. He really liked Temari but her temper scared the crap out of him sometimes.

Both teens were broken out of their thoughts when Tsunade entered the room. Naruto waved halfheartedly,

"Heya Baa-Chan, how long have I been here?"

Tsunade glared at the boy before sighing and pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Naruto, if I had any idea of how much trouble you would cause me, you and Jiraiya would never have gotten me to return." Seeing the blank look on his face, she decided to explain. "It's been two days since 'the Three Demon Battle' as everyone has taken to calling that little fight of yours."

Naruto growled hearing that name. It was somewhat apt, he admitted, considering who was involved but the word Demon held really unpleasant memories. That reminded him, "Ne Baa-Chan, what happened to Gaara?"

"Gaara is fine." Tsunade replied. "He spent a night resting here in the hospital then rejoined the Sunagakure delegation. He also said to tell you that 'the fight made him feel alive', whatever that means." She didn't fail to notice the way Temari and Naruto both flinched at the statement. Cocking her head, she asked, "Something I should know?"

Temari and Naruto exchanged guarded glances.

"No, not really Baa-Chan." Naruto replied cheerfully.

Eying the two suspiciously, Tsunade disregarded it.

"Whatever. You were very lucky he was here. The amount of Biju chakra the three of you pumped out would have probably killed a normal shinobi."

"Ah," Naruto replied, "I was wondering why only Gaara and Temari-chan showed up." Reaching over he grabbed Temari's hand. "Thanks for saving my butt Temari-chan."

Temari blushed a bit – between Gaara and her status, she wasn't used to such kindness. Hiding her embarrassment by lightly smacking Naruto hand, she smiled at her husband.

"Of course. I wasn't going to let the two of you have all the fun."

"Despite direct orders to the contrary," Tsunade said with a mild glare at the girl.

Temari straightened in her chair defensively.

"My brother and my husband were fighting." She said, glowering at Tsunade. "I don't care what the orders were, I simply could not let them fight someone that dangerous on their own."

"My, my." Tsunade said mildly. "And here I thought Sunagakure shinobi followed orders to the letter no matter what."

Temari flushed as the barb hit home but raised her chin frostily.

"That may be, Hokage-sama," She replied icily, "But I happen to be a Konoha kunoichi now and I believe I've heard my husband say that those that abandon their comrades are trash."

_So, the girl is not only dutiful but strong-willed as well. Good, that will serve her well married to knucklehead there_, Tsunade thought as she stared at the girl.

"I suppose that's true." Tsunade conceded. Changing the subject, she addressed Naruto, who was following the conversation with very wide eyes. "So Gaki, you want to tell me why you didn't just use Hiraishin to escape when Han confronted you?"

"I didn't think of it?" Naruto said after mentally slapping himself.

"Naruto!" Tsunade said testily as Temari palmed her face. "You have a jutsu that lets you go pretty much wherever you have a seal and you **didn't think to use it in a fight with a jinchuriki**?"

"Um, no." Naruto replied shakily. "By the time I knew he was a jinchuriki, I was already kinda locked into the fight."

Admirably resisting her urge to pound him till he stopped moving, Tsunade sighed.

"Naruto, there are times when it is wisest to simply retreat and deal with something or someone at a later date." Holding her hand up to forestall the comment he was about to make, Tsunade continued. "Yes, I realize he attacked you but if you had thought it through, you could have retreated, informed me and there wouldn't have been a massive Biju fueled clash right next to the village."

Naruto lowered his gaze.

"I'm sorry, Baa-Chan. I just got caught up in the fight and when it got bad I couldn't think of anything but the fight."

Tsunade could sympathize at least a little with him. she remembered her team's fight against Hanzo the Salamander and how fighting someone that dangerous caused tunnel vision. Still, she simply had to get Naruto to stop charging into things without thinking. She firmly believed that the boy in front of her would become Hokage and charging off half-cocked was a very bad thing for a Hokage to do.

"Naruto, you are very strong, especially for your age and rank, but that doesn't mean anything if you don't think."

"Hai Baa-Chan, I promise I'll do better." A despondent Naruto replied.

"Good, see that you do." Tsunade said as she reached forward to ruffle his hair. "I'm just worried about you, Gaki. You know what sort of danger is out there for you and you've just added a significant weakness."

She eyed Temari's stomach.

Eyes wide, Naruto followed her gaze and blanched. _Oh shit_ he thought in a panic. _That's right, those Akatsuki freaks are after me and now I have Temari and a baby on the way._ Narrowing his eyes in determination, Naruto clenched his fists.

"Baa-Chan, I have to get stronger." He said quietly, with steel in his tone. "There is no way I can let those freaks get to my family."

Tsunade nodded, "I've taken care of part of that, but it's going to be up to you to do the rest. Can you handle it?"

Naruto met her gaze steadily, "There's really no choice Baa-Chan, I simply have to."

Temari glanced between the two in confusion, obviously there was something she was missing, something important.

"Naruto, what are you two talking about?" She asked in a stern tone.

Naruto panicked. How do you tell the woman you married that because of said marriage multiple S-rank shinobi would be hunting them? He gazed at Tsunade imploringly but she simply shook her head, it was his issue to deal with. _Gee, thanks a ton Baa-Chan_. Scratching the back of his head nervously, Naruto chuckled,

"Well you see Temari-chan, there are these really strong guys hunting me cause of Fur-ball here." He said, patting his stomach.

Temari felt her eyes narrow, "This seems like something I should know, being married to you and with who my brother is."

Naruto flinched at the ice in her tone.

"Gomen Temari-chan, I just didn't want to worry you."

"Naruto," She said, glaring at her cringing husband. "When we married, your problems became **our** problems." Taking a deep calming breath, Temari realized that this wasn't a good conversation to have in a public place like the hospital. She was now the matriarch of a Konoha clan and with a dim bulb husband she had to make sure private matters stayed that way. "Now isn't the time for this but believe me, this conversation isn't over husband." Temari pursed her lips thoughtfully, "If they hunt you for your 'tenet' did you think to warn my brother?"

Naruto flashed her a foxy grin, "Yeah, I did that when they brought you here to Konoha."

Temari nodded, "I see, and what exactly did you tell him?"

"Everything I just told you Temari-chan, and that if he sees someone in a black cloak with red clouds he should kill first, kill again for good measure, and not bother asking questions later."

Temari's face tightened in displeasure, "After we finish our conversation, I believe I should speak with my brother as well."

* * *

At the newly reestablished Sunagakure Embassy, Gaara felt a shiver travel down his spine. _Hmm, I wonder what that was_ he thought as he ignored the diplomat droning on in front of him.

* * *

After being released from the hospital by Tsunade, Naruto and Temari headed home. The trip was very uncomfortable for Naruto as Temari spent most of the journey boring a hole through his head with her eyes. He'd offered her his arm as had become his custom lately and was saddened when she chose not to take it. _I guess she's really, __**really**__ mad. _

Upon entering the house, Temari turned on her husband in rage.

"Do you think I'm weak?"

"No, you're really strong Temari-chan," Naruto replied defensively.

"Really, if you think I'm strong, why hide the fact that you have powerful enemies that might attack you at any time?" The girl seethed.

"That's not it Temari-chan. I didn't think of it that way."

Dropping her chin slightly, Temari flashed him the smile she usually used in battle.

"No Husband," She practically spat the last word. "That's just it, you _**didn't**_ think did you? I am not some pretty little flower cooped up where you can admire me. I am a kunoichi, a Sunagakure Wind Mistress and a Master of Tessenjutsu. I earned those titles the hard way."

Naruto cut her off in the middle of her rant.

"No, that's not what happened datteboyo! I swear to you, I was going to tell you but so much stuff has happened that I didn't really find the right _time_. Yes, I think you're beautiful and strong and awesome and the thought of you being hurt because of me tears me up." He looked at her with tears in his eyes. "With you here I'm _happy_, please don't hate me because I forgot to tell you something important." He finished in a whisper, eyes cast to the ground.

His words tossed a bucket of ice water on the flames of her temper. _Shit, I forgot that he is socially stunted, which was pretty stupid of me._

"Naruto, look at me," She commanded.

Not for the first time, Temari noted that to truly see what Naruto felt, one needed to see his eyes. The depth of the pain and self-loathing in his eyes was painful and she felt the rest of her anger fade away. Closing the distance between them, she lowered her face so that they were at eye level with each other.

"Naruto," She said softly. "I was angry that you kept such an important thing from me but I do not hate you, and I will not leave you." His eyes reflected a deep relief and Temari leaned in and gave him a small peck on the lips. "As I told you our wedding night, for better or worse I will always be with you."

Naruto cast his eyes to the ground.

"I'm really sorry Temari-chan. I just want you to be safe."

Temari rolled her eyes in exasperation.

"Naruto, like I just said, I'm not some pretty little flower. I don't _need_ protection."

Naruto jerked his head up at her statement heavily frowning. Reaching forward he placed his hands on her shoulders and pulled her eye to eye.

"Yes, you do." He stated flatly, overriding her protest. "One of the men chasing me single-handedly wiped out the entire Uchiha clan in a span of hours. That sort of power is not something to just shrug off. I _knew_ that you are strong, in some ways even stronger then me but the group after me _hunt_ creatures like what we fought a few days ago."

Temari paled as the information soaked in. Sure she was strong, damn near jonin level but that wasn't just another league, that was another damn dimension. She didn't intend to just roll over and let them take her brother and husband, but perhaps Naruto had a point.

Seeing that Temari was beginning to accept his statement, Naruto let her go fist clenched at his side.

"Temari-chan," He said quietly, "Are you aware of where I draw my strength?"

Temari raised an eyebrow, confused at the apparent sudden change of subject.

"Not really, no. I know it has something to do with precious people. You yelled something about that when you stabbed yourself that time Ino was trapped in your head."

Once again Naruto meet Temari's eyes as if trying to drive his message straight through her eyes and into her brain.

"I believe that one can only be truly strong when one has something precious to protect. My greatest desire now is to protect you Temari-chan, so please, let me protect you."

Temari felt as if she was drowning in his eyes. She could see his honesty shining through everything and knew that he absolutely meant every word he had just said. The knowledge that the boy in front of her would quite literally die for her threw Temari for a loop. She'd grown up knowing that someday, sooner rather then later, her youngest brother would kill her. Now the same boy who had changed that future, had literally changed the course of her life, was showing her that he was willing to do anything to protect her. Something like this always seemed to happen just when she thought she had him all figured out. Reaching out, Temari pulled him into a fierce hug.

"I'm not promising that I won't fight," She whispered into his ear. "But I guess I can let you protect me. Just remember, I will protect you too."

Naruto nodded and whispered back, "I never expected anything less, Temari-chan."

The two teens stood there embracing each other for several minutes, savoring the quiet time spent together. Sadly, this moment of bonding was interrupted by Ino bounding through the door.

"Hey Naruto, Tsunade-sama sent me to get you!" She shouted, before she saw her fellow blondes standing near the door.

Closing his eyes, Naruto sighed.

"Temari-chan," He whispered, "Would you think less of me if I told you that right now I'm thinking of locations to hide her body?"

Temari chuckled.

"No, you just let me know if you need help with that," She whispered back. Out-loud she said, "What do you want, Flowergirl? We're busy."

Ino giggled at the two - they actually seemed to make a good couple even if the very idea seemed absurd to the gossip queen.

"Like I said, Tsunade-sama sent me to get you. A council meeting has been called regarding that fight you had a few days ago."

Naruto groaned and let go of Temari.

"Figures." He pouted. "I just woke up and now I have to go play nice with the council." A quick glance at Temari in her ninja gear reminded him of something he'd almost forgotten. "Temari-chan, go get dressed in formal wear. You're coming with."

Temari cocked her head to the side, hand on her hip as she studied her husband, curious about his motives. A brief image from her wedding flashed into her head and she smiled when she realized that he wasn't commanding her to come, he was treating her as his equal in clan matters. Nodding her acceptance, she darted up the stairs to get ready.

Naruto turned to Ino as he began to follow Temari upstairs.

"Ino-chan, we'll be a few minutes, make yourself at home or head back if you want."

Ino shook her head.

"Tsunade-sama said to bring you, so I'm staying." She called up the stairs.

Several minutes later found Naruto waiting for Temari next to Ino. He was wearing the same kimono from his wedding, what he had taken to calling his "Clan-head clothes." A big difference from the wedding was that rather than the ring boxes, the storage seal on his sleeve held his kodachi and several Hiraishin kunai. Being caught off-guard with only a single kunai by Han had caused him to develop a slight paranoid streak. _Meh, it's only paranoia is someone is NOT out to get you, and I know for a fact I have enemies._

Catching sight of Temari coming down the stairs, he felt his jaw drop open at her appearance. She was wearing a short-sleeved black kimono with burnt orange trim and a matching obi. As she moved, Naruto noticed that the sides of the kimono were slit to above her knees to allow her more freedom of movement. She smiled at his reaction and did a small twirl to show him the white Uzumaki swirl emblazoned on her back.

Ino stared back and forth between the two. Temari looked simply elegant but still fierce and even Naruto looked refined. She was amazed at how much they matched and she expected they would draw a lot of attention on the way to the council chamber.

Naruto held his hand up.

"Okay, two things before we go, Temari-chan. You have a weapon or preferably weapons?"

In response Temari pulled two small folding fans from under her obi. Seeing Naruto eye the fans unimpressed, Temari snapped one open and with a quick wave sliced the top off a candle on the far side of the room. Smirking she put the fans away as Naruto eyed them with a great deal more respect.

"I told you earlier, I am a master of Tessenjutsu Naruto. I can use pretty much any sort of fan as a weapon."

Naruto nodded his acceptance.

"Last thing, Ino, why the hell does Baa-Chan keep sending you to get us anyway?"

Ino's eyes widened.

"Oh, that's right, you didn't hear did you? Tsunade-sama accepted me as a second apprentice when I asked her after, well you know, our fight. Anyways, she told me that one of the first duties of an apprentice is to shut up and do as I'm told so I end up relaying a lot of messages datteb-." Ino clasped her hands over her mouth before she could finish her sentence.

Naruto raised an eyebrow, "Né, Ino-chan, I thought you had recovered from that whole merger thing?"

Ino sighed and knocked her head against the wall in defeat. "Yeah, I mostly did, but my dad says that some of it is permanent. So if I get excited, I tend to say datteboyo just like you."

Naruto smirked, "Well, it could be worse you know."

Ino glared at him as Temari chuckled in the background, "Yeah, easy enough for you to say."

"Sure," Naruto responded. "You could have been infected with the _**"FLAMES OF YOUTH!"**_ or possibly find everything to be troublesome."

Ino shuddered as she pictured either scenario in her head. Temari for her part stopped chuckling and began straight up laughing at Ino.

Flushing, Ino started to retort before she realized that she was outnumbered, a guest in their home and on a tight time-frame.

"Oh, we gotta go!" She yelled as she darted out the door.

Naruto smirk after her then bowed to his wife and offered her his arm. Temari smiled a bit as she linked arms with him and clasped his hand. The two shared a brief kiss before they fixed their game faces on for the trip across town.

Ino randomly chatted about a very wide variety of things as the trio crossed the village to the Hokage tower. She was confused that she was only receiving short polite responses from Naruto and Temari until her training as Yamanaka heir kicked in and she realized that she was dealing with the public faces of Clan Namikaze. Ino then dropped her normal attitude and drew on her father's training as heir of clan Yamanaka. The rest of the trip passed in a companionable silence.

Entering the council chamber, Naruto briefly paused when he saw the Uchihas. Sasuke was glaring at him, not a terrible shock but still upsetting. What was far more surprising was Sakura, sitting behind her husband, she seemed to be hiding in her own kimono. She looked terrible, dark rings under her eyes and the makeup she wore couldn't conceal her clear exhaustion.

"What the hell happened to her?" Naruto murmured to Temari.

Following her husband's gaze, Temari admitted to herself that the pinkette looked pretty bad. Hell, Temari actually felt herself feeling sorry for the one she still considered a worthless fan-girl wannabe kunoichi. As they moved to take their seats at the table, Temari whispered back.

"I don't know, but she looks like she fell asleep in a scorpion's nest."

Raising an eyebrow at the seemingly odd comment, Naruto couldn't stop a frown when he reached his assigned place at the council table. The table itself formed a horseshoe facing the high-back chair the Hokage occupied. To the right of the Hokage's position was a small table where three weathered looking shinobi sat, two men and a woman.

One of the men and the woman seemed fairly normal, only the man's glasses really made him stand out. The third member, the other man drew Naruto's interest as he unabashedly studied Naruto. The man looked like he had been through some sort of hell, wrapped up in bandages that covered one of his eyes, one of his arms held in a sling. Ignoring the man's gaze for now, Naruto considered his position at the table carefully.

As a junior member of the council in rank and service time, Naruto sat at the very end of the U shaped table, directly across from the Uchiha position on the other side. It had a small advantage that he was close to Tsunade's place but the disadvantage was that he could feel Sasuke's gaze boring into him and given their positions at the table, he could do it for the entire meeting without bothering to turn his head. The second problem he had was that there was only one chair right at the table, a seat was provided for the heir, in this case Temari, but it was seated behind and to the right.

_This won't do at all,_ Naruto thought, _I promised that she would be my equal._ Most of the council and his friends watched amused as Naruto moved the heir's chair up nest to his and pulled it back for Temari to sit.

Temari felt the urge to blush as she gracefully took her seat. It was a thoughtful gesture on Naruto's part, but she silently wished that he hadn't drawn so much attention to her. Surreptitiously scanning the crowd as Naruto took his seat, Temari noticed that most of the assembled Clan-Heads and heirs seemed more amused then anything else at her husbands actions. She reminded herself once again that Konoha was a very strange place.

The underlying chatter and whisperes died off when Tsunade entered wearing her formal Hokage robes and took her seat. Taking off her hat, she lay if on the desk facing the council signifying that this meeting was being brought to order.

"As you are all aware by now," She said, completely businesslike. "Two days ago, there was an attempt made on the life of the head of Clan Namikaze." She paused as everyone turned to look at Naruto. "As you can see, Naruto is fine, but the implications are very worrying. We have been expecting a hostile response from Iwagakure ever since Naruto's heritage became public knowledge but an attack by a jinchuriki was not something we planned for."

Tsunade pulled out a dented and twisted hitai-ate showing the scratched out Iwagakure insignia on it.

"Records from the Third Shinobi War would indicate that the Jinchuriki was a shinobi named Han and that he carried the Gobi. We don't know much about him, but it seems highly unlikely that he would become a nuke-nin after a lifetime of service to Iwagakure. We can't prove that he was ordered to kill Naruto, and as a nuke-nin we have no legal reason to lay the blame on Iwagakure."

A soft murmur of discontent sounded through the chamber as Tsunade finished speaking. The scratched out hitai-ate was a polite legal fiction and a paper-thin cover but one that was recognized by all five villages. Unless they wanted to deny themselves the chance to use such a tactic in the future, they would have no choice but to swallow it.

Naruto moved to speak. He was very angry at the thought that he was forced to kill someone like himself and the thought that the one responsible would get to walk away clean was infuriating. He stopped when Temari kicked his shin under the table. Turning a questioning glance at her, he read her glare as "Not here, not now." Grumpily he sulked back in his chair in compliance. He knew she had a point - if he wanted to be Hokage, he needed to start showing that he could control himself in situations like this but he really didn't like it.

Temari mentally gave thanks as she watched Naruto sink back into his chair. She knew him well enough to know what he was thinking and a loud outburst at only his second council meeting would cause severe problems for them in the future. Since her husband seemed to live more or less totally in the present, someone had to have the long view.

Tsunade raised her hand and the room quieted.

"For now, we will consider this as a possible first strike and as such I will be ordering a heightened state of alert after this meeting. Under Operation Plan Delta, we will begin pulling teams out of foreign missions and concentrating our forces. The shinobi in the reserves will begin weekly training until such time as we are certain the crisis has passed. Let me be clear on this, I do not want a war. Even before the Konoha Crash, Iwagakure had an edge in numbers, and were able to ally themselves with other hostile countries to bolster their strength. We need time to recover."

As the assembled shinobi digested that, Ino blurted before her father could stop her.

"But Hokage-sama, Naruto knows the jutsu his father used to crush Iwagakure in the last war. Can't he do that this time?"

Feeling the eyes of the room on him, Naruto spoke quietly.

"While I have learned to use Hiraishin, I do not yet have my father's skill with it. I could undoubtedly cause painful casualties to any attacker if I used it, but I wouldn't be able to simply crush them like my father did."

Danzo spoke from his place at the elder's table.

"Is it possible for you to teach others to use the jutsu?" If it was possible, he needed to have at least one of his agents trained, and then his tools would be far more effective.

Naruto considered his response carefully.

"I'm afraid that I can not for two reasons. First, it's a clan jutsu, much like the Yamanaka mind techniques or the Nara's shadow manipulation. Second, at present it only works for me as my father's son. I finally managed to crack the three barrier seals on the main seal array and frankly some of it still doesn't make much sense to me. One thing I did recognize was the seal confirming the identity of the jutsu user. I thought that if I took that out, I could possibly modify the seal to allow Temari-chan at least to use it. It's a good thing I used a bunshin to test it. There is a reason I now have a new pond deep enough to dive in near the back of my estate."

Several of those present winced at the thought of how powerful the explosion had to have been. Danzo for his part simply grunted. It would have been nice, but he had tried to crack the seals for years with no luck. He was frankly surprised that the Kyubi brat had managed to get farther than his own efforts but perhaps in time.

Tsunade once again called the room to order. She'd informed the council of the attack and the response and now all she wanted to do was go get some sake and maybe try to catch up some on her paperwork.

"Very well, does anyone have any further business to discuss here today?" She asked, voice implying that she truly hoped no one did.

Her hopes were not to be as Sasuke stood stiffly.

"Hokage-sama, Clan Uchiha has a petition for the council's approval."

Tsunade cursed in her mind. Of course he did. Motioning for him to proceed, Tsunade wondered exactly what the boy was up to.

"Honorable Councilors," Sasuke addressed the council. "I come to you today on a matter of grave importance. Over the years the Sharingan has been a source of strength for the village and I am the last loyal member of my clan. I feel that we must revive the strength of my clan for the safety of the village in the future. As such, I propose that we pass a law today I have come to call the Clan Restoration Act. Under this law, if a blood-limit clan is reduced to a single male heir, that heir may marry multiple wives to ensure the continuation of the bloodline. I do not do this solely for myself of course, this law would apply to all blood-limit clans and will ensure the village's strength in years to come."

"I second this motion." Danzo said from his place at the Elder's table. "I believe that we should do whatever it takes to strengthen the village."

Mentally Danzo rubbed his hands in glee as he considered ways that he could use this law to strengthen his own forces.

"The motion has been seconded, we will now debate the merits." Tsunade said formally, hiding her distaste for the subject. She strongly suspected this was motivated by the fact that Naruto and Temari had already conceived an heir but couldn't actually say that without proof. "The order will be reverse seniority which I consider fitting as this law would also affect Clan Namikaze as well."

Tsunade put her own gambit in play. She didn't see Naruto supporting this and she was willing to bet that he could shut it down. Even with her legendary bad luck with gambling, she knew to never bet against the brat.

Naruto glanced at Temari with a small smile as he stood and took a deep calming breath. He now had an idea of exactly why Sakura had looked so terrible earlier and he resisted the urge to punch Sasuke in the face. It seemed that Temari nagging him into studying the Konoha charter and relevant clan laws was about to be useful despite his denial of the idea. Not that he was going to admit it anytime soon, but he suspected she was going to be just a bit smug about it later.

"Clan Namikaze would deny this motion." He began ignoring the rage that flashed across Sasuke's face. "We feel that this law would violate the Konoha charter regulating Clan practices. The charter states that any powers not specifically granted to the village by the charter itself are solely the discretion of the clans themselves. This law would be a wedge allowing future laws that further restrict Clan Rights and I simply will not stand for it."

Finishing his speech, Naruto sat down as most everyone stared at him in wonderment. _Not bad for the __**dobe**_ he thought with a huge mental smirk. He was startled when Temari slid her hand into his and squeezed gently.

"That was very well done, Naruto." She whispered in his ear.

Naruto whispered back, "Well, I had to come up with something other than 'my wife would kill me' didn't I?"

He bit back a small yelp when Temari playfully kicked his ankle.

After Naruto's speech, the other Clan-heads all voted to deny the motion as well. Some may have been motivated by a dislike for the law or past grudges against the Uchiha clan, but most agreed that any law chipping away at clan traditions was a bad thing. The only members that did vote approval were the three elders, and Tsunade turned to the seething Sasuke.

"My apologies Uchiha-san, but the motion has been denied."

Sasuke grunted a response and Tsunade quickly dismissed the council to attend to business. As Naruto filed out, arms linked with Temari he caught Sakura giving him a thankful glance. This did not escape Temari's attention, but she simply ignored it for the time being. Her husband had done well and hadn't embarrassed her so she wasn't going to let something like that ruin her mood.

Arriving home, both teens agreed that they were tired and it was time to go to bed. Stopping Naruto outside the bedroom door, Temari darted inside as a confused Naruto waited. His confusion increased when she opened the door and handed him a pillow and a blanket.

"Ne, Temari-chan, whats this?" He asked.

Temari smirked at him as she laughed.

"Naruto, when a husband screws up like you did earlier today, he sleeps on the couch until his wife says otherwise."

Naruto stared at her, stunned. "What?"

Temari laughed harder at his expression.

"Sorry Naru-kun, but that's the rule." She said, closing the door in his face.

Naruto stared at the door for several minutes, until he shook himself out of his stupor. He briefly thought about using one of the guest rooms, but decided that he didn't want Temari angry at him. Sighing, he headed downstairs and made up the couch. As he laid down, he blurted. "Well this sucks!"

"_Harry," Bob drawled, his eye lights flickering smugly, "what you know about women, I could juggle."_

― _Jim Butcher, Storm Front _

_AN_

Well, there's another chapter for you guys to enjoy. Temari and Naruto had their first real fight, but thankfully they resolved it. Temari reserved her woman's right to further punish him, but sleeping on the couch is a time-honored Male Tradition right? After pushing out 4 chapters or so this week, think I'm going to take a small break (week or so) and catch up on stories I've gotten behind on. The quotes at the beginning and end of the chapter are from a wonderful series written by Jim Butcher known as The Dresden Files. If you have never read them, I highly recommend them. o7

As a side note, I would point out that Kurama is not very good at being nice, but hey, he didn't threaten to devour Naruto or destroy anything so it was sort of nice.


	10. A meeting with the Fox

Disclaimer- I don't own Naruto

**Thanks to So Said the Dragon for her great editing. She's almost caught up. YAY**

"_There are bad things in the world. There's no getting away from that. But that doesn't mean nothing can be done about them. You can't abandon life just because it's scary, and just because sometimes you get hurt. "_

― _Jim Butcher, Turn Coat _

* * *

The sound of a window opening woke Naruto from his place on the couch. He blearily looked over to see a giggling Jiraiya headed for the stairs with his notebook in hand. It took him a second or two to get the implications, and when he did, he dive tackled Jiraiya as he started upstairs.

"Ero-Sennin! What the hell do you think you're doing?" He hissed at his sensei.

Pouting, Jiraiya put his notebook away.

"I was just going to do some research." He said lecherously. "I have an idea for a new book I call Icha Icha: Desert Rose."

"Ero-Sennin!" Naruto growled at him. "If you dare put me and Temari-chan in one of your books, I'll tell Baa-Chan about how I got you to train me for the Chunin Exams!"

Jiraiya paled at the threat, holding his hands up defensively he stuttered.

"Now, now Gaki, no need to be so hostile. Today I come in peace!"

"Umm hmm." Naruto said, eying the man. It wasn't that he disliked the self-proclaimed super-pervert, Jiraiya had actually taught him some cool stuff, but he'd noticed a certain trend. Whenever Jiraiya showed up, sooner or later, his life got harder.

Extending a hand to help Jiraiya off the floor Naruto asked the first question that came to his mind.

"Can I ask what exactly brings you by this early Ero-Sennin?" Seeing Jiraiya assume his usual perverted leer, Naruto cut him off. "No, what really brings you here."

Jiraiya instantly assumed a far more serious expression and posture.

"Tsunade wants me to be there when you go to speak with the Fox. If things go wrong, I can you use this to stop you." He said, showing Naruto a complicated paper seal.

Naruto examined the seal closely.

"If I'm reading this thing right, you slap that tag on me, it will cut off my chakra and I'll drop right?"

Jiraiya flashed him a wide grin.

"You're getting better with your fuinjutsu. That's exactly what this does." Jiraiya frowned as he continued. "Tsunade wants us to do this away from the village just in case. I'm gonna take some precautions and set up a barrier seal. You go grab Inoichi and that fox of yours and meet me back where you trained for the exams."

Naruto nodded, then froze.

"Ero-Sennin, I think I should let Temari-chan know what's going on." He glared at Jiraiya when the eccentric sage made whipping noises at him. "Or, I could not tell her, and when she tracks me down and I'm in my head talking to the fox, **you** can deal with her."

"Well, you should probably let your wife know where you're going." Said Jiraiya as he bailed out the window.

"Wuss." Naruto muttered under his breath as he climbed the stairs. Opening the door to their bedroom, Naruto found Temari sprawled across the top of the bed in her usual nightwear of a large baggy t-shirt and panties.

Naruto paused to drink in the sight of his wife's long toned legs. If there was one physical feature of hers he truly appreciated other than her eyes, it was those legs. He blushed as he remembered how smooth they'd been his wedding night, and it was with great effort he focused back on why he was here.

Approaching the bed, Naruto gently shook her shoulder.

"Temari-chan." He called softly. "Wake up, Temari-chan." He suppressed his desire to laugh when the girl jerked away and groggily turned to him.

"Narto? Whazit?" She mumbled, still more than half asleep.

Naruto sat and ran a hand through her unruly hair.

"Ero-Sennin stopped by this morning. I guess today is the day I go talk to the Fox with Reynard."

Temari had been relaxing, enjoying the feel of his hand through her hair until she mentally processed the conversation. Her eyes snapped open and she jerked up into a sitting position on the bed, startling Naruto. Rolling her shoulders to work out the kinks, she yawned.

"Alright, I'm awake. Give me ten minutes and we can be on our way."

As she slid off the bed and gathered her things for a shower, Naruto called out.

"I was just coming to let you know. You don't have to come with."

Poking her head back through the bathroom door, Temari glared at him.

"Naruto, if you're going to do something as stupid and suicidal as taking other people into your head to talk to the Kyubi no Kitsune, I'm not letting you out of my sight!"

"Ah, it's not _that_ bad Temari-chan. I get stuck talking to the fox from time to time anyway." Naruto replied, somewhat defensively.

Calling out from the shower, Temari sounded annoyed.

"Baka, you do remember what happened the last time someone was in your head right? Just in case you forgot, let me remind you, you rammed your own damn kodachi through your stomach!"

Naruto winced. He had a feeling that particular act would be used against him in the future with depressing frequency. Sighing as he got dressed for the day, he considered just taking off while she was in the shower but decided against it. His decision ultimately hinged on one crucial fact - he didn't want to sleep on the couch again.

Now prepped and ready for the day, his stomach growled reminding him he hadn't eaten.

"Headed to make breakfast," he called towards the bathroom as he headed downstairs to the kitchen.

Pulling her hair into her trademark style, Temari followed her nose to the kitchen as short time later to find Naruto putting the finishing touches on a pair of omelets. Seating herself at the table, she smiled as he theatrically slid the plate in front of her.

"Mm, smells really good Naruto." She said happily as she prepared to dig in. She was a bit irritated that Naruto was a better cook then she was but her annoyance faded away as she savored her omelet. _Still, I really need to learn how to cook, _she thought to herself. _I'd like to be able to surprise him with something good one of these days._

Finishing up, the teens checked their gear and headed out the door and exited the estate. Exchanging glances, the two quickly took to the rooftops as they headed to the Yamanaka flower shop. It felt odd to the two that they weren't linking arms, but it would have made roof running difficult and they were wearing their shinobi gear anyway.

Dropping to the street, Naruto was about to enter the shop when he noticed Inoichi walking around the side of the building.

"Hey, Inoichi-san." The boy called politely. "It's time!"

Nodding at the boy, Inoichi signaled for him to wait as he turned around and headed back around the building. Bored, Naruto amused himself by practicing levitating a kunai with chakra over his palm. He was having some difficulty as he was supposed to use regular kunai, not the much heavier tri-bladed hiraishin ones for this control exercise. So, focused on trying to hold it steady, he didn't notice as Inoichi and Reynard walked up behind him until Reynard spoke.

"Good Morning Naruto-Sama." The large gray and red fox said perhaps a bit too loudly.

Cursing, Naruto barely got his hand out from under the blade as his attention was pulled from the exercise.

"Damn it Reynard, you did that on purpose!" The boy said, pointing accusingly at the fox.

The fox bowed.

"My apologies, Lord Regent, I was merely trying to get your attention."

Naruto glared just knowing the fox was mocking him. _Maybe having him spend most of two weeks with the Yamanaka's was a bad idea_ Naruto thought considering the new attitude Reynard had. It was subtle, but the fox seemed to be enjoying annoying him. Making a mental note to find some way to seek revenge, Naruto pushed the matter out of his mind for the moment.

"Inoichi-san, Reynard." He nodded at each in turn. "Baa-Chan decided she wanted Ero-Sennin nearby in case of any complications. He is currently setting up a barrier seal where we are to perform the mind-walk."

Seeing the look of confusion on Inoichi's face, Temari decided to clear things up for the man.

"Baa-Chan is what Naruto calls Tsunade-sama and Ero-Sennin is his nickname for Jiraiya-sama."

Inoichi's eyes widened in both shock and amusement as he studied the boy in front of him. He had to admit the boy's name for Jiraiya was both amusing and accurate, but calling Tsunade Baa-Chan? He'd only known one person with that sort of audacity, and he briefly superimposed Kushina's image over Naruto's in his mind. _He may look like his father, _Inoichi thought in amusement, _but he definitely inherited Kushina's flippant attitude. _Inoichi noticed that both teens and the fox were staring at him and he realized he must have gotten lost in his thoughts.

"Alright Naruto-san, I assume you know where we need to go?" Getting a nod, Inoichi motioned for him to lead on. As the mixed party left, Inoichi couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if Naruto hadn't married Temari. It was a shame, the kid probably would have been good for his little princess. He mentally filed that thought away for future consideration.

When the group arrived at their destination, Naruto couldn't help but groan. He'd forgotten exactly why Ero-Sennin liked this particular spot. Apparently Jiraiya had gotten bored after he prepped the middle of the field because sure enough, he was sitting in the bushes overlooking the waterfall giggling away as he peeped on the women below.

Temari knew that Naruto called Jiraiya Ero-Sennin, but she had assumed it was because of the books the older man wrote. Watching him in action, she now fully understood **exactly** why her husband called him that to the exclusion of everything else. Growling low in her throat, she pulled her fan off her back and fully opened it.

"**Kamaitachi no Jutsu!**" She called as she swung her fan, creating a visible funnel of wind around Jiraiya as her attack picked him up and tossed him off the cliff.

Naruto laughed hysterically at the irony of Jiraiya being thrown off this particular cliff as Temari closed her fan with a victorious smirk. Noting her questioning look, Naruto managed to quiet down though the occasional chuckle still escaped him. Walking over, he pulled the surprised girl into a fierce hug as he spun her around.

"Have I told you lately how awesome you are, Temari-chan?"

Temari blushed at the compliment and the public display of affection and demanded to be put down. _At least the aptly named Ero-Sennin wasn't here to see it_ she thought as she sent unamused glances at the smirking Inoichi and Reynard. Well, Reynard wasn't really smirking, being a fox and all, but having spent several weeks surrounded by foxes, she'd learned to read kitsune body language and he was definitely amused.

She was silently vowing retribution when a battered hand appeared at the edge of the cliff. Looking like he'd lost a fight with Tora the demon cat, Jiraiya pulled himself over the edge of the cliff and flopped to the ground with a groan. Seeing Naruto laughing at him, Jiraiya pouted.

"You think that's funny, Gaki?"

Naruto walked over to the prone form of his sensei.

"No Ero-Sennin," He said quietly so only Jiraiya could hear him. "I'm pretty sure it's karma."

"It worked didn't it?" Jiraiya told the boy.

"Oh, I never said it didn't, Ero-Sennin but the idea that the wife of the kid you tossed off the cliff, ended up throwing you off the same cliff was funny as hell." Naruto replied with an easy grin.

Jiraiya chuckled and held a hand up for his apprentice to help him to his feet.

"I suppose when you put it like that, it is kinda funny." Back on his feet, he scanned the area. "I see we have everyone we need," He paused, warily eying Temari. "And an extra. Gaki, I thought you were just going to tell her you were leaving?"

"She insisted she was coming along, something about me being suicidal and stupid and she wasn't letting me out of her sight. I'm not sure really, I was sort of distracted at the time."

"Oh?" Jiraiya saidl amused, as he watched Temari give Naruto a look that spelled trouble. "How were you distracted?"

Naruto flushed, images of Temari in her sleepwear flashing through his head.

"Nothing." He mumbled. "It's not important."

His reaction didn't go unnoticed by Jiraiya, but the old pervert decided to simply file that fact away for future teasing of his apprentice. Clapping his hands for attention, he gathered everyone at the center of the barrier seal.

"Alright, you all know why we're here. Naruto, I need you to sit here at the center of the barrier. Inoichi, you can be anywhere you want as long as you don't try to cross out of the barrier while it's up. Reynard, same thing as Inoichi."

Naruto sat and began to relax himself. He wanted to be able to enter his mindscape as soon as he could. Inoichi sat next to him, and Reynard lay his head on Inoichi's lap. Seeing this, Naruto raised an eyebrow at the two.

"It's easier for him to transfer my mind like this." Reynard told Naruto. "It is also really comfortable."

Seeing that everyone was ready, Jiraiya sat on the inside edge of the barrier.

"You sure you want to be in here?" He asked Temari when she sat next to him.

"He is my husband." Temari replied with an edge to her voice. "I shouldn't have to remind you that if something happens to him, it will negatively effect the Leaf/Sand alliance."

Jiraiya gave her a knowing look.

"Those are valid points, but I noticed that none of them require you to be in here. Is there perhaps something you're not telling me?"

Temari flushed.

"Shut up."

Jiraiya laughed, then assumed a serious expression. Reaching his hands to the inked line in front of him he called out, "Naruto, I'm raising the barrier. You may begin." When he pushed his chakra into the seal, a clear shimmering dome formed around the group.

When Jiraiya called out, Naruto instantly dropped into his mindscape. He didn't have to wait to long before Inoichi and Reynard arrived.

"Ha, welcome to my mind. Watch your step, it's a bit damp here."

Motioning for them to follow him, Naruto lead them to the Kyubi's cage.

"**Ahh, it's the Warden, and guests, I see." **Kyubi said as the group arrived before him. "**Tell me ningen, why is one of the lesser cousins with you?"**

"Eh? Lesser cousins? Oh, do you mean Reynard?" Naruto asked in confusion.

"**If the kitsune next to you is named Reynard then yes." **Kyubi turned his gave on Inoichi. "**Ah, I see, you had the father of that mind walker bring him here. You went through a lot of trouble to bring him here. Why?"**

Naruto stared suspiciously at the giant fox.

"You're not insulting me or threatening to destroy the village or anything. Why?"

Kyubi looked annoyed and it showed in his response.

"**You've brought a kitsune. I assume that this is business and business comes before pleasure."**

"Ah, I see." Naruto said as he massaged his temples to ease his sudden headache. "As you have guessed, yes, I have brought Reynard here to discuss something with you. The kitsune consider me to be your regent since you are sealed within me. What are my duties as regent?"

Kyubi chuckled in his cage.

"**Ah, I see. Very well, I'm surprised that a human would honor my old oath. Your duties are fairly simple. You must protect and defend the kitsune if and when they request it. I am assuming from the presence of the lesser cousin that the kitsune have requested protection?**"

Naruto sighed.

"Hai, the idiots in the village hate anything to do with foxes after your attack 13 years ago. So in addition to treating me like crap, they've been hunting and killing the kitsune. All that are left from the woods surrounding the village are now on my estate." Naruto closed his eyes sadly and shook his head. "There are probably only a couple dozen left."

Kyubi seemed to expand in his cage as a growl sounded though the chamber.

"**Those fools will pay when I get out of here! You, ningen, what have you done about this?**"

Naruto shared a wide-eyed look with Inoichi and Reynard - dear Kami the fox sounded pissed.

"I've arranged for Inuzuka vets to tend to them, and have offered sanctuary on my land. To get the Inuzuka to agree, I had to consent to the Inuzuka sending young members of their clan to attempt to form life-bonds with some of the kits."

Kyubi considered this - it wasn't a bad idea for the kitsune. Inuzuka bonded with a partner for life and while not bred for close combat like the ninken, the kitsune had advantages of their own.

"**I suppose your solution is acceptable, since you won't raze the village like I would. You, lesser cousin, Reynard, the ningen called you. Come here."**

Reynard bowed and edged forward to the bars, his body screaming his reluctance.

"Yes, Kyubi-sama, might this one inquire, why I am approaching your greatness?"

Kyubi gave one of his terrifying smiles.

"**I have a present for you little one." **Pressing the end of one of his claws to Reynard's head, Naruto and Inoichi saw a brief flash before Reynard disappeared from Naruto's mindscape.

"Oi, Fox, what did you just do to him?" Naruto yelled in rage.

"**Relax foolish ningen, I have not harmed him. I simply transferred the basic knowledge of Kitsune ninjutsu to him.**"

"Kitsune ninjutsu? Wait, what? Fox! I really don't think the village is ready for foxes spitting fireballs."

Kyubi sighed - Naruto may be a more interesting container then Mito or Kushina but he frequently annoyed the hell out of the great kitsune.

"**I do not care what the fools in the village think! When Reynard teaches the others the skills I have shown him, the next pathetic meat-sack that attacks one of Inari's blessed will suffer greatly for the mistake!**" Kyubi began to laugh as he visualized the delicious shock and horror awaiting the next fool to attack one of the lesser cousins.

Naruto glanced at Inoichi and shrugged. He doubted that the foxes would go and seek revenge but he did like the idea that they would be able to defend themselves if attacked. _I wonder, since I'm stuck with fur-ball here, maybe I should take a page from the Inuzuka clan. I can see some advantages to kitsune-nin and to hell with any villagers that don't like it._

"Pardon Kyubi-san," Inoichi spoke to the Fox. "I have a question. When my daughter was trapped here, what did you do to her? In the time since, she has had trouble with her chakra control and I believe you would know why."

Kyubi stood behind the bars, tails whipping around behind him.

"**Mortal, you sorely mistake me. I care not what happens to your spawn, but if I do not answer I'm sure the ningen there will hound me for it and I do not appreciate being annoyed. Your pathetic clan jutsu requires you to send your soul into the target vessel. Your offspring's soul was in direct contact with me, the strongest of the Biju! I assume that such contact forcibly increased her chakra reserves. Now, if you are satisfied, I believe our business is done here.**"

Naruto gave Inoichi a questioning glance and the man nodded that he was done.

"Yeah, I think that's all fox."

Kyubi gave them a truly malevolent smile.

"**Good, now that business is done, it is time for pleasure!**" Concentrating, he forced as much chakra through the seal as he could and then used Inoichi's link into Naruto's mind as another channel to attack. He laughed as the two vanished in a wave of red chakra and he sat back to watch events unfold. "**Foolish mortal.**"

* * *

Back in the waking world, the first sign of trouble for Temari and Jiraiya was a large explosion of red chakra from Naruto that tossed Reynard and Inoichi hard against the barrier. Temari watched horrified as her husband grew fangs and claws, his whisker marks widening below his red eyes. The red chakra settled around him and formed what almost appeared to be a large fox as three bubbling red chakra tails formed behind him.

"Oh, this is not good." Jiraiya muttered as he viewed Naruto's transformation. He attempted to get in close to slap the suppression tag on the feral boy, but was forced to back off when a tail swiped through where he would have been. "Oi, Girlie!" He yelled to Temari. "I need to get this tag on him. Can you distract him?"

Temari nodded shakily. The killing intent was even worse than Gaara's but at least she had experience dealing with something like it before. A normal shinobi would have been paralyzed with fright but Temari pulled her fan off her back and prepared to fight.

Naruto's form seemed to crouch, then exploded forward, charging the girl. She wasn't ready for the speed and barely managed to deflect him with her wind. As he rebounded off the barrier, she was just glad that Naruto didn't seem capable of jutsu like this. She shuddered to think of how bad things would be if he could use his clones like this. Getting the timing down, she began trying to drive him towards Jiraiya using wind blasts but it wasn't working as well as she had hoped. She could knock him back, but he would just use his tails to reposition himself midair to avoid the Toad Sage.

Jiraiya was growing frustrated. This version of Naruto was very fast and agile. He and Temari were under the handicap of trying to fight to subdue the boy while he was under no such limitations. He was considering summoning Ma and Pa to use sage mode but he really didn't want to. It would be like hitting a mosquito with a sledgehammer, and then there was the problem of Temari being present. He really didn't like using the technique in front of women.

Growing tired, Temari decided to take a more proactive stance.

"**Kamaitachi no Jutsu!**" She yelled with a slash of her fan. A visible whirlwind formed around Naruto and lifted him into the air. He began to cut through the jutsu with his tails but ran out of time when he slammed full force into the barrier.

Bouncing off the barrier, he slammed into the ground hard enough to leave a small crater. Pulling himself to his feet, he cocked his head at Temari, then two claws made of chakra launched themselves at the girl.

Temari tried to deflect the attack but the claws ripped through her jutsu and she desperately threw her fan up trying to block. She closed her eyes, not wanting to see the attack she believed would kill her. The claws ripped through the chakra enhanced fabric of the fan but stopped right before they struck.

Temari opened her eyes to see the chakra claws hovering in front of her face. She looked past them in confusion to see Naruto with his hands pressed against his head. A flicker of blue showed through the red in his eyes and she heard him croak, "Temari-chan?"

Not one to waste an opportunity, Jiraiya dashed in while he was distracted and slapped the suppression tag on the boy. The red chakra swirled then appeared to drain back into Naruto as he dropped face first into the ground.

Temari closed her damaged fan carefully then ran over to the prone form of her husband. She flipped him over as gently as she could and checked him over. She was relieved when he seemed to be fine, just unconscious. Sitting down she placed his head on her lap and ran her hand through his hair.

After checking Inoichi and Reynard and finding them to be in reasonable condition, Jiraiya checked the barrier seal. He was concerned that the formerly shimmering white chakra shell had taken on a reddish tint. He cursed under his breath as his inspection confirmed his suspicions.

Seems that when Temari slammed Naruto into the barrier, some of the Kyubi's chakra had transferred into the seal supercharging it. It wasn't too much of a concern - he couldn't take the barrier down but he could feel the rate the chakra was being used and he figured they were trapped for maybe another couple of hours. The fact that Kyubi's chakra seemed to supercharge the seal was something he might have to bring up with the Gaki at a later time though.

Wandering back over to the teens, Jiraiya smiled when he saw Temari fussing over Naruto. Good, the girl was strong and didn't seem to hold Naruto's jinchuriki status against him. He could read between the lines, he knew the two were much closer than even they seemed to realize.

He mentally sighed. It seemed that both of his apprentices had surpassed him in at least one thing. While he lived with the knowledge that he would never have the love of his life, both Minato and his son had found strong women to support them. _Or was found __**for**__ him in Naruto's case,_ he thought with a snort of amusement.

He sat down next to Temari.

"I like you girl! You've got spirit!"

Temari eyed the man cautiously, wondering what he wanted. It was nice to get a compliment from someone like Jiraiya, even if he had somewhat insulted her with the name "girl", but she wondered at his motives.

"Oh," She replied coolly, eyebrow raised. "I appreciate the compliment Ero-Sennin, but I do wonder why?"

Jiraiya stared off into the distance as he answered.

"You're good for the Gaki there. He's a good kid and he has tons of potential but he needs someone close to him to keep him in check sometimes."

Temari nodded in response.

"Yeah, I thought about that during the council meeting the other day. I've never seen anyone able to react on the fly the way he does, but I decided then that if he lived in the present, I was going to take the long view."

Jiraiya grunted approval.

"Speaking of the long view, have you considered your training in the near future?"

"I'm not sure what you mean?" Temari replied.

Glancing at her stomach, Jiraiya carefully considered his words.

"Soon, your condition will prevent you from physically training. Have you considered branching out into other skills?"

"I haven't really thought about it yet. This is all still really new to me." Temari replied with a frown.

"Ahh," Jiraiya replied. "I can see that, but I know Tsunade is beginning classes for mednin soon." Glancing down at Naruto, Jiraiya smirked. "Knowing the Gaki here like I do, it would probably be a good thing for you to learn at least basic mednin jutsu while you can't train your body."

"Hmm, I can see your point, but I've never really thought about being a mednin. There really aren't a lot of them in Suna."

"Well, it's something to think about anyway, but I know that most of the girls near your age will be there. It might be helpful in that long view you talk about if you formed some bonds with them."

Temari scowled - the old pervert didn't play fair at all. She knew he had a point, several of them in fact, but she dreaded dealing with the fan-girls that would be there. Still, she couldn't see Tsunade putting up with that sort of behavior and Jiraiya was right, she would need something else to train on for a while.

Watching the changing expression on the girl's face amused Jiraiya, but he was smart enough to keep his amusement to himself. Laying back on the ground with his hands behind his head, he told her, "Well, we have a couple of hours till the barrier will drop. Wake me when it happens."

Temari glared at the man as he fell asleep. Leaning down over Naruto, she whispered to the sleeping boy.

"Naru-kun, you had better never turn out like him or you will regret it."

* * *

The sun was setting over Konoha as Sasuke stared out the window of his study. He was tired, he was frustrated and he was angry. His life was nothing like he had planned and he truly wanted to blame Naruto. His rival seemed to have taken an advantage over him and there didn't seem to be any way to slow the other boy down.

Pain from his arm reminded him of yet another reason to be furious with Naruto and as he thought of how the **dobe** had ruined him, he felt the curse seal begin to activate, feeding on his rage. A timid knock on the door forced him to tamp down the flames of his temper and the curse seal retreated but it would be back. It always came back.

"What?" He called out at the door, irritated.

The door slid open and Sakura cautiously poked her head in.

"Sasuke-kun, you have a visitor."

"Hnn." Sasuke responded. "Well, don't just stand there. Show them in Sakura."

Flinching from the anger in his voice, Sakura bowed her head and shuffled out. A few moments later, the bandaged figure of Danzo entered the room.

"Elder Danzo, to what do I owe the honor of a visit?" Sasuke said attempting to be hospitable but mostly coming across as surly.

Taking a seat, Danzo studied the boy before him.

"Tell me Uchiha-san, do you still seek power?"

* * *

_**"No one is an unjust villain in his own mind. Even - perhaps even especially - those who are the worst of us. Some of the cruelest tyrants in history were motivated by noble ideals, or made choices that they would call 'hard but necessary steps' for the good of their nation. We're all the hero of our own story."**_  
_**― Jim Butcher, Turn Coat**_

AN

Alright, so that's another chapter gone. Got the whole met the fox thing outta the way finally, I was having issues with it but hopefully I got the Fox coming across as being both businesslike and still a complete ass-hat. Jiraya is pushing Temari to train with Tsunade, Naruto can't handle three tails at this age without going beserk oh and Danzo is clearly violating the terms of his agreement with Itcahi. I'm sure that won't come back and bite him in the ass at any point in time.

Reminds me, I rewrote chapters 1 and 2 while I was working on 10 here. I tried to fit them more with the tone the story began to take and got rid of some stuff that upon further reflection annoyed me. I'll be working on the other chapters for grammar and content while I work on the next chapter. o7

4/22/13

I'm leaving the original author's notes in when I go back and update with Dragon's edits. To people reading, hopefully the comments show my state of mind in regards to the story at the time. o7


	11. Interlude: OPD Briefing

Disclaimer: Nope, no rights to Naruto here.

Operational Plan Delta: Brainchild of jonin Commander Shikaku Nara, Operational Plan Delta is a defensive strategy focused on possible hostilities with Iwagakure. Shinobi detachments throughout the Land of Fire are reduced leaving town and city security mostly to the Fire Daimyo's Samurai. The majority of the recalled shinobi are sent to the Northwest along the borders of Kusagakure, Amegakure, and Takigakure. Small detachments are sent to screen other borders as pickets and large patrols sweep the countryside of the Land of Fire.

In Konohagakure, the retired and reserve shinobi are also mustered and form a homeguard for the village. ANBU also has a more visible presence as a show of force. To ensure a steady income, low ranking missions are still completed by long-term genin squads. D-Rank missions are completed by Academy students. The majority of expenses are paid by a large war-chest funded over the years by the Fire Daimyo and previous Hokage.

The Jonin Commander estimates that Operational Plan Delta may remain activated for no more then 45 days before Village income is reduced to unsustainable levels, with an additional 60 days drawing on the war-chest.

* * *

Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto: Believed to be an orphan of unknown origin by most of Konoha's population, the secret of his heritage was hidden until the announcement of his marriage to Temari of Sunagakure. Naruto had only recently discovered himself that he was the progeny of Minato Namikaze, Yondaime Hokage and Kushina Uzumaki an S-ranked kunoichi previous Jinchuriki of Kurama the Kyubi no Kitsune.

Naruto was an outcast for most of his life. While never truly physically mistreated, a handful of drunken attacks quickly stopped by ANBU, he was shunned by the vast majority of the village. In his early years, his only companion was the Sandaime Hokage, referred to by Naruto as Jiji or Old Man. While the majority of the shinobi population were wary of the boy, the civilians, not understanding exactly what a Jinchuriki was, mistreated the boy at every opportunity. Frequently overcharged for even minor items, Naruto found additional companionship from the proprietors of a small Ramen stand.

Naruto assumed the persona of a laughing prankster early in his youth when he noticed that people that played pranks received attention. Desperately wanting to be acknowledged, Naruto began to dress himself in a bright shade of his favorite color (orange) and began a career as the "Prankmaster from Hell." As part of this role, Naruto began to bury his darker emotions beneath a smiling mask.

Naruto's early education at the shinobi academy was sabotaged by both prejudiced instructors and those under orders from Key military personal to fail the boy. Said Key personnel believed that the boy would be more accessable if forced out of the shinobi program.

…... Error in transcription.. End Data File...

Ok, so, chapter 11 is done and sent to the Beta I recently found. They are currently working on both chapter 11 and other earlier chapters. Lol, I know I just rewrote parts of chapter one, but you should check and see the editing job they did. I was very impressed. Figured you guys would like this little snippet here regarding what Konoha is up to and a brief and truncated bio of Naruto. Oh, and I wanna know, since I write much faster then SstD edits, should I post the non edited chapters for you then replace them once they are edited? o7


	12. Offers and Presents

**Disclaimer: Still don't own Naruto**

**This story is brought to you by the Beta: So Said the Dragon**

**"The wacky thing about those bad guys is that you can't count on them to be obvious. They forget to wax their mustaches and goatees, leave their horns at home, send their black hats to the dry cleaner's. They're funny like that."**

― **Jim Butcher, White Night**

* * *

"Tell me, Uchiha-san, do you still seek power?

For Sasuke, the words seemed to ring through the room and he activated his Sharingan in a brief search for genjutsu. Seeing everything was normal, he deactivated his eyes and stared at his guest.

"I've been removed from the shinobi corps, and also crippled. Why would you come ask me if I seek power?"

Danzo considered the boy. He was flawed, but with training and molding, he could be great.

"I am no longer an active shinobi, and I too have been crippled. Do you think I have no power?"

Now that Sasuke was on the council, he had seen the man there, but had never seen him before. Given the facts as he knew them, Danzo was obviously someone that worked from the shadows. Perhaps he could be of use.

"No, I have seen you at the council sessions. I believe you probably hold some sort of position of power that requires you to hide it."

"Very astute." Danzo said with a nod. "Everyone looks to the visible figures of the village, the Hokage, the Jonin, but not everything a village does is meant to be seen."

"And you mean to give me this power?" Sasuke asked skeptically.

"You mistake me, Uchiha-san. I am not giving you anything." Danzo replied. "I'm merely offering to show you a path that would lead you to the power you seek. If you should prove worthy, of course."

Sasuke gritted his teeth as Danzo shot hit home. Of course he was worthy - he was the_ last _loyal Uchiha. With other paths closed to him, he would do whatever this man required for the power he was offering.

"I am ready for any tests you may have, Danzo-san." He replied with an edge of anger.

Danzo regarded him impassively.

"No, you are not. Not yet. The first thing you must learn is that emotions are a weapon. Your anger and rage drive you to weakness. Weakness Konoha can not afford."

"What would you suggest then, Danzo-san?" Sasuke growled out.

"I will tell you some truths - let me see how you handle them. I am aware that you hate the Uzumaki boy for crippling you, but he is not to blame. You are."

Sasuke exploded.

"How is the dobe not to blame? He blew off my arm!"

"Yes, he did. What caused him to do it though, Uchiha-san? Who drew upon their curse seal and used an assassination jutsu against another Leaf nin? As I said, emotions are a weapon. You let your anger take control in that match and now you must pay the price for it."

Danzo's response caused Sasuke to reconsider the events of the match.

"He still crippled me."

"Yes, he did, but he could have killed you. Had you done such a thing against me, I would have killed you. His compassion allowed you to live. Yet another reason emotions are a weapon. The Uzumaki boy fails to control his emotions and allowed someone that tried to kill him to live. A potentially fatal mistake on the battlefield."

Sasuke considered the man's words. They made sense to him, but he lived on his hatred. What was he to do without it? Still, if it was required for power, he would control his emotions.

Danzo watched the lesson sink in and the corner of his mouth twitched in approval.

"Good, you are beginning to learn. You must not allow your emotions to control your actions. This leads to the second truth, Uzumaki will someday be Hokage."

Now Sasuke was shocked. The dobe had always spouted his determination to be Hokage but Sasuke had always assumed it was simply his way of getting drawing attention to himself. Now a high ranking member of the village was telling him that Naruto _would_ be Hokage.

"I see this shocks you, and for that you can only blame yourself. Taking your emotions out of it, I want you to think about Uzumaki being Hokage."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes as he began reviewing what he knew of Naruto now. Several pieces he had previously ignored demanded his attention.

"He is the son of the Yondaime, and is related to the Shodai, Nadaime and Godaime Hokage."

Danzo nodded his approval as Sasuke began to speak. Once the boy began to clearly look at the situation, he had an excellent mind.

"He will be powerful almost beyond belief provided he is trained correctly." Sasuke continued, unaware of Danzo's thoughts. "With his heritage and the Kyubi to call on, he will be almost unstoppable. His marriage would tie Sunagakure to Konoha if he was Hokage, even more then it does now." Sasuke paused and looked at Danzo again. "Yes, I can see it. The Dobe will some day become Hokage. I shudder when I think of him in that spot though."

Danzo nodded again.

"Yes, Uzumaki is a firm believer in the teachings of the Sandaime Hokage. Such teachings lead to weakness for the village, no matter how powerful the individual. Now, what would you suggest in regards to this information?"

Sasuke placed his good hand under his chin as he began to consider the question.

"Obviously there would need to be some sort of check or voice of reason. Someone able to do what needed to be done. The Hokage is the military commander, but most village functions are controlled from the council. Only in times of war is the Hokage absolute. I see..." He trailed off, realizing what Danzo was subtly suggesting.

"Tell me, Uchiha-san, what do you see?" Danzo said, carefully watching the boy.

"I would need to fill that role. I have the support of the civilians of the village and while useful does not get me what I need. I will have to form some sort of alliance with other members of the council to ensure that the Dobe has someone opposing his actions." Sasuke smirked at the bandaged man. "That was your role, but why come to me now?"

Danzo considered what to tell the boy. Perhaps some measure of the truth would be needed here.

"I have always sought the position of Hokage, to make the hard choices the Sandaime never would. I can see events in motion and I know that I will never attain that post now that Uzumaki's heritage has been revealed. It now falls to me to ensure that the adherents of the Will of Fire, as the Sandaime was fond of calling his teachings, never completely control the village. They would strip Konoha's power and bargain it away in the name of peace." He nearly spat the last word out despite his emotional control.

Sasuke leaned forward, briefly flaring his Sharingan in excitement.

"I see, and so while the Dobe is being taught, you will teach me?"

"Perhaps." Danzo replied as he stood and shuffled to the door. "You will need to show me that you are worthy before I will commit to anything." He paused at the door and said over his shoulder. " It has come to my attention that the Hokage will be training several young kunoichi in her medical arts. I have heard that the Uzumaki's wife may be there as well. A shinobi uses every tool at their disposal Uchiha-san. Perhaps you should considered that. I will be watching you, show me you are worthy."

Having said his piece, Danzo gave a curt bow and exited the room.

Sasuke sat back in his chair and considered new options for the future. Danzo may not be able to become Hokage, but perhaps he could take the Dobe's dream away. It would be only fair after Uzumaki took his away. He would play along with Danzo and form his own powerbase.

"Sakura," He called out. "Come here, I need to speak with you."

Sakura answered his call and walked into the room.

"Yes, Sasuke-kun?" She asked quizzically.

Sasuke took moment to observe his wife. As it stood, she was useless for anything but breeding stock. The only reason he married her was that she was the only kunoichi willing to do so after the events with the Dobe. Given another choice, possibly any other choice, he would never have married her but perhaps she could actually be useful. He forced a smile as he told her about the medical training.

"Elder Danzo informed me that the Hokage is beginning classes for kunoichi in the medical arts. I think that this would be a wonderful opportunity for us and I would like you to attend."

"Really?" Sakura clapped her hands in glee. "Training with the Hokage to be a mednin? I promise you Sasuke-kun, I won't disappoint you!"

"Hnn, see that you don't, you represent the Uchiha clan." Sasuke said dismissing her and turning to stare out the window.

Even Sasuke's cold demeanor couldn't shake her from her excitement as she left the room. Maybe if she excelled as a mednin things would get better here at home. At least the training would get her out of the house. She missed her friends.

* * *

After testing the water with her toe, Temari sank into the onsen with a groan. Jiraiya had been correct, the barrier had disappeared after a few hours. After waking the man, they'd had to drag Inoichi, Naruto and Reynard back to the village when they couldn't get any of the three to wake up. She had ended up carrying Reynard who was surprisingly heavy for his small body size. Jiraiya had been stuck with Inoichi and Naruto and she giggled as she remembered the man swinging the two onto his shoulders. The Toad Sage had not been pleased at carrying two men and the look on his face when Temari asked him what his intentions for her husband were was hilarious.

She hummed happily to herself as she felt the hot water ease the pains caused by the fight with Naruto. She found it odd that the nicest, sweetest boy she had ever met, had an unstoppable rage demon imprisoned within him. _I suppose it's for the best_, she mused. _I'd hate to think of what would have happened if someone like the Uchiha had that sort of creature inside them._

She supposed it was his general good nature that helped keep the beast in check, but even that could be overwhelmed, she supposed. Naruto, not her Naruto, but still Naruto had almost killed her today. She was extremely fortunate that her Naruto had somehow stopped the other one from killing her. She idly stroked her still flat stomach, a habit she'd acquired sometime during the past week. _Aside from not wanting to die, I really don't think I want to know how Naruto would have reacted when he learned he killed me._ _Perhaps I shouldn't have been inside the barrier._

The sound of the gate leading to the garden opening caused Temari to snap her head up but she relaxed when she saw Ino walk in wrapped up in a towel.

"Ino? What are you doing here?"

Sliding into the water, Ino took a moment to relax before she answered.

"Well, tonight is the last night for me here. The garden is done, so tomorrow I go back home." She looked around a little wistfully, "I figured I would take one last soak beforehand though."

Temari nodded. Being from the desert, she could appreciate someone wanting to enjoy the onsen one last time. Sure, there were public ones, but they were _public_ and Jiraiya was still in town. She'd heard of the man's habits from her husband which was why she'd convinced some of the resident foxes to keep an eye out while she soaked. Jiraiya had tried to peek only once and she giggled again as she remembered watching the man run off chased by small woodland creatures.

"Something funny?" Ino asked when Temari couldn't stop giggling.

Temari waved a hand in a brushing motion.

"No, just remembering why I really like having a private onsen."

Ino tilted her head, then smirked.

"Oh, Jiraiya right? Yeah, I saw that. One of the strongest shinobi alive being run off by foxes." She leaned forward and whispered. "Just between us, when I saw that, I took control of one of the foxes just so I could bite him."

Temari laughed uproariously at the information and Ino sank back into the water with a satisfied smile.

"So, you going to come train with us?" She asked Temari.

Temari stopped laughing and sighed.

"I think so." She absently stroked her stomach, a gesture not missed by Ino, and continued. "I'm not going to be able to train like I want soon, and Ero-Sennin made some good points about why I should."

Ino laughed.

"Oh Kami, now Naruto has you calling him that?"

Temari smirked.

"Trust me, I have my reasons. I even tossed him over a cliff earlier today when he was being perverted."

Ino's eyes widened and she clapped her hands over her mouth.

"No **way**! You threw him off a cliff?"

Temari's smirk widened.

"You would be amazed at the things you can do with wind!"

The two girls laughed for awhile then settled down to enjoy the water.

"I'm going to miss you guys." Ino said after a few minutes.

Temari eyed her curiously.

"It's not like you won't see us around."

Ino closed her eyes and floated in the water.

"I know, but the last couple weeks here with you guys have been really fun." She chuckled. "I won't spoil the surprise but he made something for you in the garden I think you'll really like. I never would have guessed that Naruto could be that romantic."

Temari arched an eyebrow.

"Oh? What did he do?"

Ino stuck out her tongue playfully.

"I'm not ruining the surprise, but I will say that I'm really kinda jealous."

Temari snorted.

"Jealous? I was married off to another village for political reasons. I didn't even know who the groom was before I got here. Then, no one knew that I had never been taught the contraceptive jutsu since I was on a team with my brothers and I get freaking pregnant on my wedding night. The only thing I feel lucky about in the situation is that at least my husband is a really good guy, but even then he has a freaking demon sealed in him!"

Ino stared wide-eyed as Temari wound down from her rant.

"Wow, when you put it like that...I don't really know what to say."

Temari grinned.

"Ahh, that felt good to let out. Don't get me wrong, though. Everything I just said is true, but I'm actually pretty happy right now."

Ino stretched her arms out and formed a triangle with her fingers. She stared through the hole at the stars as she responded.

"I'm still jealous you know. We all thought that Sasuke was Prince Charming when we were growing up. He was just so dark and mysterious and all of us girls thought we could just take him and fix him and then he would be our Knight in Shining Armor." Both girls chuckled at the image of Sasuke wearing shining armor - the image was just to droll. "Then it comes out that the boy we all thought was stupid and weak is really the Tragic Prince of the play, desperately searching for love and you come out of nowhere and claim him."

Temari crossed her arms and gave Ino a stern look.

"You all had your chance, but no one bothered to really see him. Even I vastly underestimated him when I first met him. I make no apologies for my good fortune."

"No, I wouldn't either in your place." Ino sighed. "I just wish I had someone that cared for me the way I've seen him care for you."

"I suppose it's every girls dream, huh?" Temari replied. "Who knows Ino, maybe someday your Prince will come."

* * *

After finishing her soak and her chat with Ino, Temari padded back into the house to check up on Naruto. Temari had tucked him into bed after Jiraiya dropped him off before leaving to take Inoichi home. She was concerned when entering the bedroom - she saw no sign of her husband. She closed her eyes and concentrated, feeling his chakra nearby. _At least he is still in the house._

Following the trail, she found him intently studying a scroll in his father's old study. Looking around, she noticed a half dozen clones also sitting reading scrolls as well. Before she had time to say something, the Naruto at the desk - she assumed was the real one - began furiously scribbling on a scroll. Silently, she crossed the room to see him working on what appeared to be a very complicated seal.

So intent on his work he never noticed her presence, he jerked in alarm when Temari gently touched his shoulder. His flailing knocked the ink pot over and ruined the seal he'd been working on. Cursing under his breath, Naruto began trying to clean up the mess but mostly just smeared ink over everything.

Temari watched his actions with a certain amount of alarm. Usually he would greet her, no matter how short the time then had been apart was. Now he was refusing to even look at her and she knew that something was very wrong. Temari was many things - smart, beautiful, strong, proud and rather_ blunt_. She spun the chair Naruto was sitting in to face her and planted her arms on the armrests on both sides trapping him in the chair.

"Naruto, what's wrong?"

Naruto refused to meet her eyes, taking small glances and immediately looking away.

"Nothing, Temari-chan." He said with forced cheer. "Just working on my fuinjutsu."

Temari narrowed her eyes and her expression became stern.

"Naruto, look at me." When he refused to turn his head to face her, she removed one of her hands from the chair and forced him to meet her eyes. "This isn't nothing. I know nothing, nothing happens to be a good friend of mine and this isn't it." She was trying to both get his attention and lighten the atmosphere with her small joke.

"I broke my promise." Naruto muttered.

"I'm sorry, you did what?" Temari asked with a great deal of confusion.

Naruto crossed his arms and stared at her feet but he did raise his voice.

"I broke my promise, Temari-chan. I swore I would protect you and I almost killed you today. I'm working on a seal for myself, something you can use on me if the Fox screws with me again."

Temari chewed on his answer. Yes, he had almost killed her, but it wasn't really him. She remembered her thoughts in the onsen, her Naruto had saved her.

"Naruto, that's not true, you did protect me."She finally said.

Naruto jerked his head up in surprise at her statement. He'd been expecting her to be very angry with him, possibly not want anything to do with him after what happened. _I suppose I should stop assuming the worst but before Temari-chan, it's all I knew._

"I..." He paused unsure what to say. "I'm not sure what to say here. I know what happened. I was seeing everything in a red haze after the stunt the Fox-teme pulled and I almost killed you."

Temari leaned forward, touching her forehead to his.

"Naruto, you can't blame yourself for this. Yes, you went berserk when the Fox pushed his power into you, but you didn't actually harm any of us. You fought off the effects of his chakra before anything really happened."

Naruto winced.

"Temari-chan, I saw where those claws were. If I had been even a second later, you would be dead, and I would be to blame." He paused and brought a hand up to cup her cheek softly, "I don't think I could take losing you."

Temari gently bopped him on the head.

"Naruto, you broke out of the Kyubi's power when you saw I was threatened. I'm not afraid of you and you're not going to lose me." Taking his hand from her chin, she placed it against her stomach. "I'm also pretty sure this ties us together too."

Naruto closed his eyes and focused on his hand. He wasn't a mednin like Tsunade of course but underneath his hand, he could feel a faint chakra signature within Temari's.

"Yeah," He said huskily. "I suppose it does."

Temari was glad to see him recovering from his little bout of depression. Turning to the table, she guided the subject to something else.

"So, tell me about this seal."

Naruto shrugged.

"I'm trying to create a suppression seal like what Ero-Sennin used on me but one that is permanent and can be used from a distance. I figure if I get it right, you'd always have a way to stop me if Kyubi decides to be a teme again - and he will."

Temari stared at the seal in horror.

"Naruto, that's a really stupid idea."

"Eh?" Naruto wasn't sure where that came from. Wouldn't she want a way to stop him if the worst happened?

Temari sighed.

"Naruto, the idea of a suppression seal is great in theory but what happens if an enemy learns how to trigger it?"

Naruto's eyes widened - he hadn't thought about that. He looked at the notes for the seal as his mind raced. She really had a point, and it would actually make anyone that knew how to trigger the seal into an even larger target if his enemies ever discovered it.

"Damn it, I didn't think of that!"

Temari giggled at his expression.

"And that, dear husband, is why you have me. Someone has to think of these things and we both know it's not going to be you." She said with a teasing lilt to her voice.

Naruto pouted.

"That's not very nice Temari-chan."

Temari laughed at him.

"I don't recall ever claiming to be nice Naru-kun."

Naruto decided he wasn't going to win this argument so he took the mature route of continuing to pout while ignoring the wide grin on his wife's face. Something about Temari's appearance had been bugging him since she got his attention and it suddenly popped into head.

"Ne, Temari-chan, why are you wearing a robe?"

Temari glanced down and blinked.

"Oh, I was in the onsen earlier and I never got dressed after I came in to check on you and you weren't in bed. I guess I just forgot. Hey, that reminds me, Ino came in to use the onsen before she went back to her parents and she said you had a surprise for me in the garden."

Naruto grumbled under his breath.

"She did, did she? I suppose I shouldn't have let her see it given her tendency to gossip."

"It's not like she told me what it was Naru-kun, just that it existed." Temari replied.

"Oh, so you haven't seen it yet?"

"No, she said it was a surprise you had for me so I resisted the urge to go look, but now I'm really curious."

"Well," Naruto said dryly. "We can go see it, but you'll have to let me out of the chair first."

Temari blushed when she realized she was still trapping him in the chair. She backed off to allow him to get up and took his offered hand as they headed out to the garden. She was confused when Naruto lead her to a back corner that appeared to just be flowers.

"Naruto?"

Naruto flashed her a foxy grin.

"Kai!"

As he dispelled the genjutsu he'd had Ino use, the ordinary flowerbeds became something else entirely. Apparently he hadn't listened when she told him not to have Gaara turn part of the garden into something resembling the desert near Sunagakure but she was now glad he hadn't. Divided from the garden by a low wall to hold the sand, Naruto and Gaara had somehow found the time to create something remarkably like an oasis.

She wasn't sure how they had found the time as hectic as things had been but she suspected massive abuse of shadow clones given the amount of work it looked to have been. Moving across the sand, relishing the feel of it on her bare feet, she entered the oasis to find a small gazebo surrounded by carefully cultivated flowerbeds of Desert Lilies - her favorite flower. Standing next to the gazebo was a life size statue of her and her brothers standing next to each other in their battle poses.

"Oh, Naruto." She whispered as she started to cry. "I don't know what to say, it's beautiful."

Naruto smiled as he pulled her into a hug.

"I wanted you to have a part of the garden that was all yours. I'll have clones come in to tend to the flowers from time to time, but otherwise, this is your sanctuary."

Resting her chin on his shoulder, a somewhat uncomfortable position given her height advantage, she pointed at the statue.

"Naruto, what is that? Or rather, how did you do that?"

Naruto chuckled as he explained.

"I'm not sure if you know this, but apparently Gaara has taken up a hobby to occupy himself since he can't sleep. I guess he goes out into the desert and night and uses his sand to make sculptures of things. As you can see, he's actually pretty good."

Temari pulled out of the hug to go run her hand along the statue of herself.

"Yeah, this is really good." She looked over at him when Naruto started to laugh. "What's so funny?"

"Oh, you missed the best part of this. Kankuro managed to stop me and Gaara when we started painting the face of his statue purple. Gaara just turns to him and goes, 'Nii-san, we just wish to accurately portray your make-up for Temari.'" Temari began to giggle as she pictured Gaara telling Kankuro that in his usual monotone and found it to be hilarious. "Yeah, it was hilarious, Kankuro couldn't tell if he should be shocked that Gaara was making a joke or pissed that he was calling it make-up."

Still giggling, Temari sat down in the gazebo and watched the reflection of the stars in the water of the faux oasis. The fragrance of the flowers drifted in the wind and if she closed her eyes she could almost imagine she was back in Sunagakure. Not quite, but it was close enough.

While Temari was enjoying herself in the gazebo, Naruto received a visitor. A small toad wearing goggles of all things, approached him and spit a scroll out at his feet. Opening it, he was far from shocked to see it was from Jiraiya - it was delivered by a toad after all. Temari popped her head over his shoulder to read it as Naruto frowned.

"Oh, he wants you to start training tomorrow huh?"

"Yeah." He replied. "I'm a bit worried. Ero-Sennin said to meet him back at the barrier seal and I think he wants me to use Kyubi's chakra."

Temari shrugged.

"I wouldn't be surprised. You are a jinchuriki, after all."

Naruto gave her a level look.

"Temari-chan, I don't want to use fur-ball's power. If my mother and father could become S and SS rank ninja without using fuzzball, I want to do so as well."

"Naruto, that's a rather naive way to think of it." Temari replied after a short pause.

"No," Naruto said firmly. "I know that I'll have to use it's power at some point, but the stronger I am, the more powerful I'll be when I have to use it."

Temari wasn't sure she agreed. He needed to learn how to control himself while using the chakra but decided that could be an issue for another day. Taking his hand, she began to lead him back to the house.

"It's getting late. We should go to bed."

Naruto nodded and enjoyed the warmth of her hand as they strolled through the garden. He cheerfully waved at the handful of kitsune that popped out to watch the two teens pass by. He was pleased to see that despite the cruel treatment their kind had endured, none of them seemed to be afraid of Temari or him.

Entering the house, Temari dropped her hand from Naruto's and turned back to him. With a sly smile, she allowed her robe to slide off revealing her nude figure.

Naruto gulped and tried to keep his eyes on her face but was rapidly losing that fight.

"Temari-chan?"

Temari swayed closer to him and whispered huskily in his ear, "I said we should go to bed, I didn't say we should go to sleep."

Naruto smiled as his wife took his hand and lead him to the bedroom. This being married thing had its perks.

* * *

**"The human mind is not a terribly logical or consistent place."**  
**― Jim Butcher, _Turn Coat_**

_AN_

Alright, some of you guessed it, you know who you are but yep, last chapter had Kurama attempting a jailbreak. The Fox knows what makes Naruto tick and figured that having people Naruto cared about trapped inside a barrier with him was to good an opportunity to pass up. You can probably imagine how Naruto would react to killing Jiraiya and killing Temari would probably result in a world set on fire. I can't remember what the story was, but I read one awhile back that had Danzo leading team 7. Denied turning them into Root drones, he used his Sharingan eye to impart that "Emotions are Weapons." The phrase stuck with me and here we find Danzo using it because he can't induct Sasuke into Root, but he will need a successor, or pawn. It is Danzo after all :D o7

Thanks to SFDKludge for telling me that the story was Danzo's Team by kosmos00


	13. Toads and Training

**Disclaimer: Oh but I wish I owned Naruto. Not happening though.**

**Fear the Beta.. FEAR IT. Dragon strikes again!**

"_**If your opponent has you by fifty pounds, winning a fight against him is a dubious proposition, at best. If your opponent has you by eight thousand and fifty pounds, you've left the realm of combat and enrolled yourself in Road-kill 101. Or possibly in a Tom and Jerry cartoon."  
― Jim Butcher, Small Favor**_

* * *

"Good morning, Ero-Sennin." Naruto called happily as he bounced his way onto the training field. Following him at a far more sedate pace was a tired and bemused Temari.

"Well, you sure seem cheerful this morning." Jiraiya called back with a knowing smirk at Temari. "So why is she here anyway?"

"Eh." Naruto replied. "That medical training doesn't start 'till tomorrow, and she asked to come along." Moving closer to his sensei, Naruto dropped his voice. "I wasn't going to tell her she couldn't come and I figure with her here, you will have to train me and not go peep if you want to avoid another trip off the cliff."

Glancing between the two, Jiraiya grinned easily.

"Well played Gaki, well played." Jiraiya scratched his chin in thought. "You know, your dad did the same thing." Jiraiya shuddered. "I loved your mother like she was my daughter but she was one scary woman."

Glancing over his shoulder at his wife, Naruto saw she was idly toying with her fan as she waited for the two to stop being stupid.

"I fear the fan, Ero-Sennin. I fear the fan."

Watching Temari flip her fan open and slice a training post into ribbons in boredom, Jiraiya paled.

"Just think._ She's_ gonna train with _Tsunade_. Just imagine what that fan will do with enhanced strength behind it."

Naruto shuddered again.

"Ero-Sennin, sometimes I hate you." He stopped as a thought struck him. "Hey, speaking of Temari-chan and training, you think we could let her sign with the toads?"

"It's not just that simple Naruto." Jiraiya responded sternly. "I could let her sign, but Gamabunta has the final say, so why do you want her to?"

Naruto rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Well, I'm not always going to be near her and you know the toads are awesome. Plus, we can pass messages to each other with the toads if we are apart from each other."

Jiraiya boomed out a laugh.

"Worried about her for when you're not there huh? I suppose it won't hurt to ask Gamabunta." He paused to scratch his head in thought. "Alright, I'm gonna go bring her over, you summon Bunta."

Naruto's irritation bled through into his voice.

"Me? Why don't I go get her and **you **summon Boss Toad?"

Jiraiya waved over his shoulder as he walked towards Temari's corner of the field.

"Cause he's still irritated with me for not stepping in and stopping your fight with Han."

Naruto's eyes widened as he got the implications.

"_What?_ You were there? We almost got _killed, _Ero-Sennin!"

"But you didn't!"

Mumbling under his breath as he planned his revenge, Naruto began to focus chakra for the summoning. He could cheat and use Kyubi's but he wanted to see if his improved chakra control would let him summon the Boss on his own.

As Naruto began to summon Gamabunta, Jiraiya reached Temari.

"Yo, Fan-girl. The Gaki and I need you for something."

Temari narrowed her eyes at the man as she snapped her fan shut. She was curious as to what the two wanted but Jiraiya would pay for calling her "Fan-girl".

"Yes, Ero-Sennin." She said, drawing the nickname out. "What did you need me for?" To further lure the man to his doom, she even went to far as to bat her lashes at him.

As Gamabunta appeared across the field with his usual complaint about being summoned, Jiraiya felt warning bells sound in his head. The math in his head went something like, violent, aggressive girl plus sweet tone and flirting equals _danger, danger!_ Unfortunately for him, the distraction of Bunta's bellow allowed Temari into range and he winced when he saw the fan incoming. _Why? _He complained in his head. _She's suppose to pound the Gaki!_

Standing on Gamabunta's head, Naruto had a clear view of his wife pounding the crap out of his sensei with her fan and he did the only thing he could, he laughed hysterically. _I know he's letting her do it, but its still funny as hell._

Bunta removed his pipe to blow a stream of smoke.

"**Naruto, I hope you didn't summon me to fight her? If you did, I will punish you for wasting my time.**"

Naruto laughter shifted to a more nervous chuckle as he scratched the back of his neck again.

"Eh, It's not like that Boss. The woman pounding on Ero-Sennin is my wife and we wanted to ask permission for her to sign the contract."

The huge toad rolled an eye up towards the boy on his head.

"**Well, she certainly seems spirited.**" The toad settled himself and boomed out across the field. "**Jiraiya, stop screwing around and bring the girl here!**"

In response to the call, Jiraiya popped up off the ground in front of a surprised and panting Temari looking completely fine.

"Well, you heard him Gakette. Let's go talk to the Toad."

Temari gritted her teeth as she followed him. "Gakette" was at least better then "Fan-Girl" but she dearly desired to strike him with her fan again. She glanced at the edge of the field overlooking the waterfall and a sinister smirk played across her face briefly. _Or I could wait and fling him off the cliff again._

Gamabunta carefully evaluated the girl following behind Jiraiya. He'd seen her before, when he and Naruto had fought Shukaku and again when they fought the Gobi jinchuriki. The fact that the girl would stick around for fights involving Biju was impressive - that she would beat on Jiraiya was amusing but another point in her favor. He hadn't made a decision - he was waiting to speak to her - but the girl had potential.

Naruto hopped down as the two reached Bunta's location and happily bounced over to Temari's side.

"Temari-chan," He said, gesturing at the mountainous toad. "This is Gamabunta, the Boss Toad. Boss, this is my wife Temari-chan."

Temari bowed low.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Gamabunta-sama." She wasn't sure why the two had apparently randomly summoned the contract boss to meet her, but she wanted to make a good first impression.

Gamabunta chuckled.

**"Polite as well. You could learn from her, Naruto.**" Ignoring the boy's protests, Gamabunta addressed the girl directly. "**I have been summoned to consider you for the Toad Contract.**" He paused momentarily as the girl almost appeared to faint before she was steadied by Naruto. "**Tell me Temari, why do you faintly smell of ****_weasels_****?**"

Temari braced herself against Naruto. She felt a bit unsteady - being offered a legendary contract like the Toads was not something she had been expecting at all.

"I have a partial contract with the Weasels from my time as a Suna kunoichi. I only have a personal summon. His seal is located on my fan, Gamabunta-sama."

Bunta blew a stream of smoke as he considered this.

"**This is highly irregular Naruto. Why do you and Jiraiya wish for the girl to sign with us?**"

"Boss, she's pregnant." Naruto called out from his place next to Temari. "I may not always be able to be with her and I want the Toads to help."

"**Girl, would you give up your summon to sign with us?**"

Temari was torn. The toad contract was powerful, but she'd worked with Kamatari for years. It pained her but she only had one response.

"I'm sorry, Gamabunta-sama. As much as I respect the Toads, I've worked with my partner for several years and I simply can not just toss that away. Forgive me for wasting your time." She finished her statement with an extremely deep bow.

Gamabunta chuckled again as he regarded Temari.

"**Good, I would never accept someone who would throw away a summons friendship.I would have you summon your weasel, Temari."**

Nodding, Temari backed away and summoned a giant white-furred weasel. The weasel wore a black vest with red trim and had his left eye covered with an eye-patch. The weasel looked around expectantly as he planted the butt of his scythe into the ground.

"Mistress Temari, why have you summoned me? I see no battle here."

Temari smiled at Kamatari and ruffled his fur.

"I'm sorry, Kamatari, I was asked to summon you by him." She said pointing at Gamabunta.

Kamatari jerked in surprise when he realized exactly who he was looking at. He glanced nervously between Temari and Bunta.

"Mistress, we aren't going to fight Gamabunta-sama, are we?"

Temari laughed gently and stroked his head soothingly.

"No, I was offered the Toad contract but I refused to give up our friendship for it. After I refused, Gamabunta-sama requested I summon you."

The weasel stared at his summoner slack-jawed.

"You refused the Toad contract for me?"

Temari smiled at him.

"Of course I did. We've been friends and partners for years. I wasn't going to just give that up for an offer of power."

Kamatari bowed to Temari and turned to face Bunta.

"Gamabunta-sama, I am Kamatari of the Weasels. How may I be of service to you this day?"

"**We need to address the issue of your summoner, Kamatari-san**" Gamabunta replied politely.

Looking around, Kamatari's gaze passed over the humans gathered nearby.

"Gamabunta-sama, I believe that we should have this conversation privately. I realize that the humans here are all summoners but this may involve internal matters."

Reaching out, Bunta carefully picked the weasel up and placed him on his head.

"**Very well. Jiraiya, Naruto, summon me again when you end your training for the day. The issue will be resolved by then.**" Getting a wave of acknowledgment from Jiraiya and a cheerful grin from Naruto, Gamabunta dispelled his summoning taking Kamatari with him to Mount Myoboku.

"Alright!" Naruto cheered. "Time to train! What are we doing today Ero-Sennin?"

Jiraiya shook his head, suffering from a mild case of mood whiplash. It figured the Gaki would be raring to go as soon as Bunta left. Motioning at the two teens to sit, Jiraiya sank to the ground to sit opposite them.

"Alright, Naruto." He said seriously. "With the current alert status, I have roughly two weeks until I have to leave and tend to my spy network. I've arranged some further instruction for you for after I leave, but I intend to push you hard until then."

Naruto nodded solemnly.

"I understand, Jiraiya-sensei. What will we be working on?"

"Well, to get started, I need four Kage Bunshin." After Naruto created the clones, Jiraiya created one of his own and motioned Naruto's clones to follow his. "Those four will begin training on deep meditation."

"Ero-Sennin!" Naruto shouted. "How is meditating going to help me?"

"Calm down, Gaki." Jiraiya replied, motioning for Naruto to settle down. "Let me explain before you get all worked up. Right now, your body is not physically mature enough for me to teach you most of my best techniques. That doesn't mean we can't do some prep work now, though. One of the things I want to teach you in the future requires you to sit absolutely still for a period of time. That's what those four clones are learning to do."

"Alright," Naruto said suspiciously. "I suppose that answers what those clones are doing but what about us?"

"I know you're learning your mother's taijutsu and kenjutsu styles Naruto, but I can't help you with those. One of the instructors I have for you after I leave probably can, so what do I do with you now? Oh, that's right." He said with a evil grin. "Now I remember. I'm going to train your speed and strength."

"Bring it, Ero-Sennin." Naruto shouted, standing up and pointing at him. "I can take whatever you got!"

Jiraiya stood facing the boy.

"Ha, you'll drop halfway through shrimp!"

"Boys, boys." Temari said, breaking in. "If you two baka are done with me, I think I'm going to just go train out of the way."

"Ahh, come on, Temari-chan." Naruto called out to her. "Come train with me!"

Temari face-palmed almost in unison with Jiraiya. Walking back over to her husband, she cupped his face in her hands.

"Naruto," She said sweetly. "I'm restricted from heavy physically training _because of you_!" She finished her statement loud enough to make his ears ring.

Rubbing his pinkies in his ears to get rid of the ringing, he glared at Jiraiya for laughing at him.

"Ow, I'm sorry Temari-chan. I forgot." Seeing Jiraiya's wince and Temari's rapidly reddening face, Naruto replayed his comment in his head. _Oh shit, not what I meant. _"No, I mean I forgot that you were already restricted in your training, not that you were pregnant Temari-chan." He blurted, trying to head off his impending doom.

Jiraiya coughed.

"Okay, now can we get to our training, Gaki?" When Naruto nodded, he pressed on. "I said I was going to work on your speed and strength so we're going to spar Naruto. You're going to keep your gravity and resistance seals on."

"We're just going to spar, Ero-Sennin? Don't get me wrong, I like sparring, but that doesn't really seem like heavy training to me."

Jiraiya's evil grin returned.

"I wasn't finished, Gaki. Right now your speed and strength are about average for a chunin even if you lack the reach. I'm going to press you from just above your ability level and as you get better, so will I. Now, this is pure taijutsu so no jutsu with the exception of the rasengan, got it?"

"Wait? No jutsu other then rasengan?" Naruto faced his sensei, confused. "I get constantly fighting at a higher level, but why just the rasengan? I pretty much always fight with bunshin."

Jiraiya nodded.

"Yes, you do. That won't help you here, though. You know they don't transfer anything physical to you and that's what we're going to be working on. Since you don't have the reach, what I want you to concentrate on is creating a rasengan as fast as you can in either hand when you strike."

"I get it." Naruto shouted as he almost vibrated in excitement at the thought of training. "By the time you have to leave, I'll be able to create or dispel a rasengan with either hand as I strike." Naruto's eyes lit up as he considered the possibilities. "If I can do that, and fully master Hiraishin, I'll be able to use it like Tou-san did."

Jiraiya laughed.

"That's the idea Gaki, but you have a long way to go. You ready?"

Temari leaned in and whispered to Naruto.

"Naru-kun, if you can solidly hit the perverted old man, I'll have something special for you later."

Naruto's eyes widened as he turned to face her.

"Really?" When she nodded at him with a sultry grin, Naruto turned and pointed at Jiraiya again. "You're so going down Ero-Sennin! Let's get _wild_!"

The next several hours were amusing enough for Temari that she eventually stopped her light training in favor of just watching Naruto and Jiraiya from a distance. She'd tried getting closer but after the third time Naruto's rasengan blasted her with dirt, she'd moved further away.

She wasn't surprised that Jiraiya was beating the stuffing out of her husband. The man was one of the Sannin for Kami's sake. What did surprise her was that in the few hours since the two began, she could see **visible **improvement in Naruto's speed. It had her very, very curious as to what his speed would be like once he removed the seals.

Noting that the sun was beginning to sink towards the horizon, she called to get their attention.

"Hey Naruto, Ero-Sennin! It's getting towards evening. Shouldn't you summon Gamabunta back?"

Jiraiya waved to show he heard her and dropped out of his fighting stance. Seeing this, Naruto wobbled over to Temari and face-planted into the ground next to her.

"It hurts." He whined.

"Ahh, poor baby." Temari taunted him. "Tell you what, when we get home, how about we go soak in the onsen?"

Naruto grunted and gave her a shaky thumbs up before dropping his arm limply back to the ground. He groaned and rolled over when he heard the hollow boom Gamabunta always made when summoned. Seeing Bunta and Jiraiya quietly conferring, Naruto decided he didn't care. He hurt to much to go see what they were talking about.

After Bunta dismissed himself, Jiraiya walked over to the teens. Pulling the scroll off his back, he opened it and handed it to Temari.

"The Toads and the Weasels have reached an agreement." he told her. "The Weasels apparently didn't want to give you up as a summoner even though the contract is Sunagakure's. The fact that they didn't impressed the Toads and they want you to sign."

Temari stared blankly at the scroll.

"What about Kamatari?" She asked on the brink of tears.

Jiraiya held a finger up.

"Ah, that's the compromise. Because you tend to summon him from the seal on your fan, the Toads will allow you to continue to summon him." As her face lit up at the news, Jiraiya squatted in front of her. "Understand, once you sign this scroll," He said, pointing at the scroll on her lap. "You will only be able to summon Kamatari. You will never be able to summon another weasel, ever."

Biting her thumb to draw the blood needed for the scroll, Temari smiled up at him.

"I don't care. As long as I keep my partner, I'm happy to sign with the Toads."

Rolling the scroll up after she handed it back, Jiraiya glanced at the sky.

"Hmm, it is getting late." He assumed a lecherous expression. "If you'll excuse me, I need to go do some research."

Temari sighed as the man ran off. Getting to her feet, she dusted herself off and extended a hand to help Naruto to his feet. As she helped the exhausted boy back to their home, she flicked his ear to get his attention.

"I know that you're his apprentice, but if you ever start acting like Ero-Sennin, you will regret it." Satisfied at his frantic nodding of agreement, she softened her tone. "Alright then, let's get home and hit the onsen." She smirked at him. "You know, you never actually hit Ero-Sennin, so I'm sorry but you won't get that special treat."

Naruto hung his head. Life was so unfair sometimes.

* * *

The next morning, Temari jokingly told Naruto to enjoy his day and headed to the hospital for the beginning of her medical training. She really wanted to do some physical training, if not quite to the extremes Naruto was going through. She hoped that the medical classes would at least be interesting, even if it wasn't really a subject she really cared about. She grimaced and absently stroked her stomach as she walked. _Stupid husband, gets me pregnant, gets me stuck in mednin training then gets to go spar with Ero-Sennin. _At least she would also be getting training from one of the Sannin, but she still wasn't looking forward to days spent in a roomful of kunoichi.

Entering the classroom she noticed that even though she was early, most of the seats were already taken by excited girls. Keeping an impassive face, she mentally rolled her eyes at the fan-girl antics of the girls in the room. _To be fair, _she reminded herself, _most of these girls probably became kunoichi because of Tsunade. I could see plenty of Suna kunoichi getting this excited if Chiyo-sama were to teach._

Noticing Ino waving at her, Temari smiled and headed over to the seat the girl had saved for her.

"Good morning Ino. You seem excited." She said as she saw the blonde girl bouncing around in her chair.

Ino's eyes lit up as she responded.

"Yes," She shouted enthusiastically. "I know I've trained a little with her before, but this is a really important step to making it as her apprentice."

Temari snorted as she took her seat.

"That's great for people that want to be a mednin. I'm pretty much stuck here cause I have to be."

Ino blinked owlishly at her.

"If you don't want to be here, why are you?"

Temari gritted her teeth.

"Cause my stupid husband got me pregnant and now I'm restricted on what I can do."

Ino shook her head, bemused

."Really? Cause I remember a woman in the onsen that seemed really happy to be pregnant. Wait, your wedding was only like two weeks ago. How did you get restricted already?"

Temari sighed and absently stroked her stomach again.

"I suppose I'm not unhappy to be pregnant." She admitted. "It's just seems unfair that he gets to go train with Ero-Sennin and I'm stuck in here."

Ino nodded.

"Yeah, I totally get that. Maybe we can get Tsunade-sama research a way to make him carry the baby." The two exchanged amused smiles at the thought. "So why are you already restricted?"

Temari rolled her eyes at her friend.

"Ino, you do remember that Naruto is actually the head of two Clans right?"

"Oh, that's right, I forgot." Ino said, shaking her head. "So, Tsunade-sama restricted you cause you're carrying the heir to two clans and the village can't take any chances then?"

Temari slumped in her chair.

"Yeah, that's pretty much it. The funny thing is that if I wasn't pregnant, Naruto would be stuck in the village. Now that I am, he can go out on missions. If I didn't absolutely _know_ that he didn't plan it I'd hurt him for this."

The girls shared a laugh and then Ino's head popped up when she saw a flash of pink in the door.

"Kami, is that Sakura? It _is_!" Standing up, she waved at her old rival. "Oi, Forehead, over here!"

Sakura was ecstatic to see her blonde friend again, and it showed as she walked over and grabbed a chair.

"Heya Pig, haven't seen you in awhile."

The two traded glares then hugged each other tightly.

"I really missed you, Forehead." Ino whispered to Sakura.

Sakura pulled Ino in tighter and began to cry as she whispered back.

"I missed you as well, Ino-pig. Things just aren't going like I thought they would." At this point, Sakura noticed Temari sitting next to them for the first time. She pulled away from Ino and frowned as she wiped her tears away. "Hey," She said to Ino. "What's she doing here?"

Ino raised an eyebrow at the tone Sakura used. It sounded like she hated Temari and a quick glance at her fellow blonde confirmed that Temari hadn't missed it either.

"Forehead? What's the problem?"

"She is." Sakura spat, pointing at Temari. "If she hadn't come here, I'd still have my team and Sasuke-kun wouldn't be crippled." Turning her face, she added in a whisper. "Maybe he wouldn't be so cold then."

Temari was calm, cool and collected. She was the matriarch of both the Uzumaki and Namikaze clans, she could handle a whiny fan-girl kunoichi blaming her for her life's woes and still stay serene.

"Suck it up you whiny fan-girl wannabe kunoichi!" Or not. Temari ignored the sudden silence in the room and ripped into the girl she mentally referred to as Pinky. "It's not like I was given a choice to come here. As for your team, and your husband, I had nothing to do with it."

Sakura cast her eyes to the floor.

"I'm sorry." She mumbled just loud enough for Temari to hear. She shifted her position to hide behind Ino. "It just seems that since you got here, my life has been bad."

Temari planted her hands on her hips and jutted her jaw out aggressively.

"Not my problem Pinky." He anger partially mollified by the apology, Temari was now curious. "I thought you got what you wanted from life? Why would you say your life's bad?"

Seeing Temari had cooled down, Sakura wrapped her arm around Ino and dragged her over next to Temari.

"I don't understand it." She whispered to the two girls. "I knew he was cold in the academy but he asked me to marry him. I thought maybe he'd made a breakthrough and I was going to be there and help him make everything better."

Temari glanced at Ino, reminded of the conversation from the onsen the night before.

"That seems kinda stupid." She whispered back. When the two girls glared at her, she shrugged. "Hey, I call things as I see them and it is stupid. That boy only cares about power. Hell, I'll even bet that he is the one that sent you to this class."

"H-how did you know that?" Sakura stammered, shocked at the accuracy of Temari's statement.

Temari rolled her eyes.

"I'm the daughter of a Kage. I grew up dealing with people just like your husband, Pinky." Noticing Tsunade and Shizune enter the room, Temari shooed Ino and Sakura back to their seats. "We're out of time but if you want to continue this conversation later, I might be able to help you some."

Taking her seat, Sakura stared at Temari suspiciously.

"Why would you want to help me?"

Temari cradled her head in her hands and took a deep calming breath. Lifting her head, she gave Sakura her most piercing stare.

"Because my baka husband would want me to help one of his friends." She said tightly.

Any response from Sakura was cut off when Tsunade slammed her palm down on the desk at the front of the room.

"Alright, listen up. You're all here to learn how to keep your squad alive." Her eyes flashed to Temari and the corner of her mouth quirked. "Some of you may have more difficulty with that task then others though."

Temari groaned and hid her face in her hands. _More difficulty?_ She thought incredulously. _The man ran his own kodachi through his stomach just to piss the freaking Biju sealed inside him off._ Glancing past Ino, she was amused to see Sakura rubbing her temples as if to clear a headache.

"What?" Sakura asked, feeling Temari's eyes on her. "Your 'baka husband' is still my teammate."

Temari shrugged to acknowledge the point and turned her attention back to the front of the room. Tsunade was continuing to explain the role and duties of a mednin but Temari tuned her out. She might have to learn medical jutsu, but she was no mednin.

Temari was amusing herself by idly tapping out a traditional Suna drinking song with her pen when Tsunade finally wrapped up her little speech.

"Alright, when Shizune calls your name, please come to the front and pick up your textbook." Tsunade said pulling out a eight inch thick book. Seeing the book, Temari began banging her head on the table as she muttered curses under her breath. She was so going to kill her husband for this.

* * *

The next two weeks passed very quickly for the busy Namikaze clan. Despite loathing the textbook and lectures on human anatomy, Temari had found that the practical application of her new knowledge wasn't bad. It had actually come in really handy several times Jiraiya dragged an unconscious Naruto back to the house. Frankly, it was good practice for her.

The day after Jiraiya left, Naruto was dozing in the garden when a blonde messenger found him. Ino smirked and began sneaking up on him until he spoke.

"I know your there, Ino. The foxes already told me."

Pouting a bit at not being able to scare him, Ino passed on her message.

"Hokage-sama needs you in her office, Naruto."

"Did Baa-Chan say why?"

Ino shook her head.

"No, she didn't, but I bet with Jiraiya-sama gone, it's probably for a mission."

Naruto's head perked up at that.

"Oh, I hope so. I haven't been out of the village since me and Ero-Sennin tracked down Baa-Chan."

Running inside to let Temari know he'd been called to the Hokage tower, Naruto made his way to Tsunade's office. Deciding to take a page from both Kakashi and Ero-Sennin's playbook, Naruto ignored the usual way and jumped up to the window.

"Morning, Baa-Chan." He called cheerfully from his perch on the window sill.

Tsunade pinched the bridge of her nose in irritation. What was with certain shinobi and that damn window anyway?

"Yeah, yeah, get in here Gaki."

Hopping in, Naruto walked over in front of the desk and snapped to attention.

"Chunin Uzumaki-Namikaze reporting as ordered Hokage-Baa-Chan." He said with a snicker.

Tsunade glared at him.

"You think that's funny don't you, Gaki? Well, I have a mission for you. C-class escort. Interested?"

Naruto stopped snickering.

"What's the mission, Baa-Chan?" He asked, moving closer to the desk to take the scroll Tsunade was holding out to him.

Tsunade summarized as Naruto read through the scroll.

"You are to escort the actress Yukie Fujikaze to the Land of Snow while she films the new Princess Gale movie."

Naruto nodded, still reading the scroll.

"Sounds good, Baa-Chan. Since I don't have a team right now, who am I going with?"

Tsunade's sudden grin alarmed Naruto for reasons he wasn't entirely sure of. Something about that smile seemed...off.

"Don't worry Naruto." She said sweetly. "They should be here soon."

Almost as soon as the words were out of her mouth, a loud disturbance was heard from outside the office.

"Yosh! I have defeated you this time my eternal rival. Next time, I will do better and if I can't I will..."

A feminine voice cut him off.

"Lee, shut up and get in the office."

As Team Gai entered the office, Naruto turned to glare at Tsunade.

"You are so evil Baa-Chan. What did I ever do to you?"

Tsunade pointed at the paperwork on her desk and glared right back.

"Oh for Kami's sake Baa-Chan, just use Kage Bunshin for it."

Tsunade face-palmed at the obviousness of the solution. She felt so stupid for not thinking of it herself. Shaking her head she put her elbow on the desk and rested her chin on her hand.

"Gai is currently running one of the patrols so I'm assigning his team to you for this assignment. Estimated time for this mission is approximately one month. One of the reasons I'm assigning you, Naruto, is that if problems should crop up, you have your summons to communicate with me. Any questions?"

Naruto rolled his eyes.

"A month? Baa-Chan, Temari is gonna kill me."

Tsunade snorted.

"You'll be fine. Just remember to get her a souvenir or something."

With a last glare at Tsunade, Naruto turned to face team Gai who were staring at him curiously.

"Alright guys, looks like you've been assigned to me for this C-rank. We're headed to the Land of Snow so pack for two weeks and make sure to include cold weather gear. Meet me at the gate in one hour."

* * *

"_**I read an article once that said that when women have a conversation, they're communicating on five levels. They follow the conversation that they're actually having, the conversation that is specifically being avoided, the tone being applied to the overt conversation, the buried conversation that is being covered only in subtext, and finally the other person's body language.**_

**That is, on many levels, astounding to me. I mean, that's like having a freaking superpower. When I, and most other people with a Y chromosome, have a conversation, we're having a conversation. Singular. We're paying attention to what is being said, considering that, and replying to it. All these other conversations that have apparently been booing on for the last several thousand years? I didn't even know that they existed until I read that stupid article, and I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one.**

**...**

**So, ladies, if you ever have some conversation with your boyfriend or husband or brother or male friend, and you are telling him something perfectly obvious, and he comes away from it utterly clueless? I know it's tempting to thing to yourself, 'The man can't possibly be that stupid!'**

**But yes. Yes, he can.**

_**Our innate strengths just aren't the same. We are the mighty hunters, who are good at focusing on one thing at a time. For crying out loud, we have to turn down the radio in the car if we suspect we're lost and need to figure out how to get where we're going. That's how impaired we are. I'm telling you, we have only the one conversation. Maybe some kind of relationship veteran like Michael Carpenter can do two, but that's pushing the envelope. Five simultaneous conversations? Five?**_

**Shah. That just isn't going to happen. At least, not for me."**

― _**Jim Butcher, Cold Days **_

**AN**

**ok, confession time. This chapter drove me freaking nuts. I needed it as a transition but I don't like it and I think it might possibly be the weakest chapter I've written in the story so far. Still, at least the damn thing is finally done. Next chapter is Land of Snow with Naruto in charge of team Gai. Should be interesting. o7**


	14. Cold as Ice

Disclaimer: Nope, I see no rights to Naruto here.

**As usual, Dragon strikes back!**

**AN: As most of the people that review my story know, I like reviews, I like interacting with the people that review. Even reviews that are critical are great and I've had good conversations with people that have issues with my writing. Still, there are limits. If you're going to flame me for my "cliche, hack pitiful writing skills" maybe you can grow a pair and do it from your own account rather then a guest one. I would absolutely love to see how much better then me you are. To the rest of you, please do continue to tell me what you think.**

* * *

"**So we get a plan," I said. "Any suggestions?"**

**"Blow up the building," Kincaid said without looking up. "That works good for vampires. Then soak what's left in gasoline. Set it on fire. Then blow it all up again."**

**"For future reference, I was sort of hoping for a suggestion that didn't sound like it came from that Bolshevik Muppet with all the dynamite."**

― **Jim Butcher, Blood Rites **

* * *

Temari surveyed the mess in her living room with a frown. Why she let Ino talk her into hosting "meetings" of her fellow kunoichi she wasn't sure. She did know that Ino was going to help her clean up the mess or she was going to shove her fan down the girl's throat. With that in mind, Temari began the hunt for her fellow blonde. _I keep forgetting how useful it is to have Naruto around,_ she thought as she searched. _Those clones of his are great for stuff like this._

Thinking about Naruto brought a scowl to her face. He'd been gone two weeks already and he hadn't bothered to send her a message. The Hokage had gotten a message two days ago - a frantic toad had materialized right next to her during one of Tsunade's lectures. Whatever the scroll said, it hadn't been good. Tsunade had immediately turned the lecture over to Shizune and stormed from the room.

After her class, Temari had summoned Gamakichi to try to get more information but even the bribe of a huge bag of candy hadn't gotten him to talk. She supposed that was when she let Ino talk her into having the kunoichi over. With Naruto gone, it sucked to be alone.

Temari eventually found Ino sitting in the garden on a bench talking to Sakura. She stopped and wondered if getting Ino to help was worth dealing with Sakura. She'd said she would help the girl but there really wasn't anything she could do. Her problems all centered around her husband, but the girl just seemed blind to that truth. _Thank You Kami for Naruto. He has his problems and he is going to PAY for leaving on a month-long mission and just leaving me a note, but I could have been married to that jackass Uchiha._

She'd just decided to make Sakura help clean up when the girl burst into tears. Watching Ino try to console the girl, Temari turned around and went back to the house. _On second thought, I think I'll just clean up on my own. Damn you for leaving me to deal with this shit, Naruto._

* * *

Prone in the snow, Naruto grimly surveyed the black stone fortress in front of him through a pair of binoculars. There was no doubt about it. He could sense several Hiraishin seals within - this was where the client and his team were. His rage simmered below the surface and he could feel the Kyubi trying to influence him as he reviewed the mission so far.

He'd known he was chickening out when after packing his supplies, he'd left a note telling Temari he was on an extended mission. He only stopped briefly on his way out to order Reynard to defend Temari at all costs. In his defense, he really didn't know how to break the news, but he suspected she was going to make him pay for it later anyway. With that thought pleasantly sitting in his head, he wasn't in the best of moods when he and his team arrived to find the actress they were supposed to escort had disappeared. It had taken Naruto and Team Gai most of an hour and several hundred shadow clones to find the woman sitting in a bar, refusing to leave.

Having had enough, Naruto simply ordered Neji to knock the woman out and they'd loaded her on the ship bound for the Land of Snow. After she'd woken up, Naruto and his team discovered, to their horror, that despite being a great actress, the woman was a completely frigid bitch. When she couldn't cry for the camera without fake tears, Naruto had actually looked at her and seen that the woman was bottling all her emotions away but he didn't know why. After trying to talk to her about it, a complete and utter failure, he'd taken a great deal of amusement in assigning Lee to attend to the woman's needs. It was a sorely needed bright spot for Naruto, Neji and Tenten as they watched Lee drive the woman nuts with his over-enthusiasm.

That amusement died when the Snow Nin attacked while the crew was filming on an iceberg found on the way to the Land of Snow. He and the team had managed to drive them off with apparent ease but the revelation that their client wasn't just an actress, but the exiled Princess had not filled him with joy.

Naruto knew he should have terminated the contract right there and then, but memories of Wave had convinced him that if he could free a country once, he could do so again. Despite the newly revealed Koyuki Kazahana's desire to depart, the group pressed on.

Now understanding some of the woman's pain, Naruto began trying to break through Koyuki's shell and had made some limited progress before things went to hell. A giant machine riding on metal tracks had nearly crushed Naruto and the princess before he could get her out-of-the-way.

He regrouped with his team just in time to watch a small army of loyal Snow Samurai cut down by some sort of kunai launching machines. Then some sort of airship flew over and a giant claw grabbed the princess out of Naruto's grasp, knocking him over the side of a cliff.

It was a completely pissed Naruto that clawed his way back to the top of the cliff ten minutes later to find the area deserted except for the bodies of the slain Samurai. Mentally berating himself for his mistakes, Naruto created some shadow clones to bury the bodies while he began to meditate to track the hiraishin seals he'd planted on his teammates. Finding the seals active, Naruto wrote out his current situation and his plan of retrieving his team and summoned a messenger toad to deliver it to the Hokage.

Unwilling to flash into a potentially bad situation, Naruto began to follow the seal's trace on foot after finishing the burial for the dead samurai. Several days passed before he reached the small ridge he was observing the fortress from. That brought him to his present time and location as he considered his options for freeing his team and the princess from captivity.

A small noise behind him caused him to roll and hurl a kunai but it was casually snatched from the air by the masked man responsible for the noise.

"Maa, maa, Naruto." Kakashi said handing the kunai back. "These things are dangerous you know."

Naruto narrowed his eyes,

"Kakashi-sensei, why are you here?" Considering the amount of time since he reported in compared to the travel time, Naruto drew the fairly obvious conclusion. "Baa-Chan had you following me, didn't she?"

Laying down next to Naruto to observe the fortress himself, Kakashi decided he might as well come clean.

"Yes, the Hokage had me shadow you because the mission skirted the edge of Iwa's territory." Kakashi eyed the way the boy tensed. "No, she didn't send me because she didn't believe you could do the mission, Naruto. After the Gobi Jinchuriki's attack, she simply didn't want to take a chance Iwa might try something else to finish the job."

"His name was Han, Kakashi-sensei." Naruto nearly snarled at the man. Seeing the apology in the scarecrow's eyes, Naruto relaxed. "Alright, I can see that but why didn't you keep my team from being captured?"

Kakashi sighed.

"There wasn't enough time for me to intervene. Not effectively, anyway. Those Snow nin in that armor captured your team almost as soon as you got knocked over that cliff. I went to assist you and when I saw that you were climbing back up, I moved to help them and they were already gone."

Naruto chewed on Kakashi's answer for a few minutes as he considered his options. Glancing over at his old sensei, he wondered if the man would help him or just observe.

"Kakashi-sensei, I'm going in there and getting my team out. Are you going to help me or are you going to just watch me do it?"

Kakashi gave him an eye-smile.

"I wouldn't want to be lower than trash now would I?"

Chuckling at the small joke, the two Leaf shinobi began to plan as the sun set over the field of ice around them.

* * *

Temari was rather bored. After yet another day of being stuck in a classroom learning human anatomy, all she really wanted to do was go home, soak in the onsen, and go to bed. Sadly, with Naruto out of the village, she was stuck in the council room representing the Namikaze clan in yet another completely mind numbing council session. It might have been different if anything important came up, but today's session was just a listing of civilian complaints and concerns so far.

Each Clan on the council represented a certain district within the village but with the Uchiha and Namikaze clans both only having recently taken their seats, they hadn't been assigned a district yet. She'd actually felt a moment of commiseration meeting the eyes of an extremely bored Sasuke from across the table but both teens quickly looked away once they realized it.

As Choza sat himself after finishing his duty to his district, Temari tensed as she prepared to flee the room as soon as the Hokage dismissed the council. Seeing the woman watching her carefully, Temari began to get the feeling that something was wrong.

Tsunade mentally cursed when she noticed Temari cautiously watching her. She wished she could have told the girl the news privately - she had wanted to wait for more information but time had run out. She shifted the papers on her desk and called the room to order.

"There are two related pieces of business for the council today. First, I have received word from Naruto that his mission to the Land of Snow is no longer a C-rank. He believes it is now A to possibly S-rank." Tsunade watched Temari flinch from the news and her heart went out to the younger kunoichi.

"Excuse me, Hokage-sama." Shikaku Nara spoke from his place at the table. "What reasons did Naruto give for the sudden change in rank?"

Tsunade briefed the council on what she knew, starting from the real identity of the client and finishing with the suspected capture of Team Gai. There was a low buzz in the room as several members of the council began to quietly converse. All of it ceased when Temari spoke from where she had her head in her hands.

"So, his mission is shot to hell. His team is captured and he is on his own. Tell me, Hokage-sama," She said lifting her face to meet Tsunade's eyes. "What exactly is my husband planning to do?"

Very aware of the attention on her, Tsunade nervously tapped her nails as she opened the scroll Naruto sent.

"I suspect he was rather angry when he wrote this." She said. "Apparently he plans on tracking his team with the hiraishin seals he placed on them and rescuing them and the client. He says that if it comes down to it, he'll let the Snow nin meet the Kyubi."

The council room was completely silent so the sound of Temari's nails gouging lines through the tabletop was heard by everyone in the room. Even Tsunade flinched when Temari's spoke with an icy calm.

"Hokage-sama, you said you had two related items. We've heard about my husband's actions, what was the second item?"

Tsunade shook her head - she suspected that Temari's control over her temper wasn't going to last through this next item. Still, it was a council issue and needed to be brought up. She suspected she was going to need a lot of sake later. Picking up another scroll, Tsunade cleared her throat.

"We have received word from Iwagakure regarding the attack by the Gobi Jinchuriki. They state that they deeply regret one of their nuke-nin would attack a Konohagakure shinobi. The scroll also states that they have an offer in the interest of fostering better relations between our villages." Tsunade glanced up from the scroll to see everyone watching her and began to get nervous when she saw Temari mentally putting the pieces together. _Smart girl, I suspect she knows whats coming next but is waiting for confirmation_ . "They cite the Uzumaki clan practice of polygamy and offer Kurotsuchi, granddaughter of the Sandaime Tsuchikage, as a bride for Naruto. The information they sent on her indicates that she is the holder of the Lava release bloodline and is a jonin level kunoichi."

"Excuse me, Hokage-sama." Inoichi interrupted. "What Uzumaki clan practice are they speaking of?"

Tsunade sighed and lowered the scroll.

"In Uzushiogakure the Uzumaki clan practiced a special form of polygamy. A man could have three wives but only if the previous wife/wives agreed because the new wife would marry not only the man but also the previous wives. It worked well for the Uzumaki until the destruction of Uzushiogakure because of the Uzumaki Clan's great love of family."

Temari did not miss the speculative glances many members of the council sent her way. She knew that the new information would cause many to consider ways they might gain access to her new Clan's wealth and status and she decided to end those plans before they could truly begin.

"I do not agree with this proposal, Hokage-sama." She said as calmly as possible. "From your description, the wife has to agree, and I will not."

Exchanging glances with Homura and Danzo, Koharu spoke from her place at the Elder's table.

"Forgive me Temari-san, you may have the right to refuse, but why would you not welcome a powerful bloodline to Konohagakure?"

Taking a brief calming breath, Temari replied.

"I'm concerned that none of you seem to be suspicious of this." Eying the council warily, she pressed on. "Iwagakure loathes the very name Namikaze, and now, in a gesture of 'friendship and goodwill' they offer the the Tsuchikage's granddaughter to the son of the man that almost single-handedly cost them the Third Shinobi War? I don't think so."

"Much the same could be said about you." Hiashi Hyuga said when Temari paused. "You yourself were sent as a show of faith. Why should this be different?"

"The circumstances are completely different, Hyuga-san." Temari retorted. "My marriage was to cement an alliance between Sunagakure and Konoha. An alliance mostly focused against the _threat_ of Iwagakure." Temari absently stroked her stomach as she continued. "Even carrying an Uzumaki-Namikaze heir like I am, if I were to assassinate my husband and flee to Sunagakure, I would not be welcome. There is a very high probability that my own brother would kill me and send my head back as an apology." Temari shuddered at the thought of dying in Gaara's sand. "Can you say the same for this Kurotsuchi?"

Silence settle over the council room as the experienced shinobi began considering Temari's words. Her argument was solid and well thought out for being such a quick response. They showed that her actions were not those of a jealous girl, but of a wife protecting her husband. Uncharacteristicly, it was Shibi Aburame that broke the silence.

"It is a pity. Temari-san's arguments are quite logical but she missed several things that also make this offer untenable. Naruto is not the only target possible in the Namikaze manor, Temari-san herself is quite likely. Her assassination would create disruptions in, if not complete dissolution, of the alliance with Sunagakure. There are several other logical ways Iwagakure could use this against Konohagakure."

"If the Namikaze clan is not agreeable, then perhaps the Uchiha clan may perform this service for the village." Sasuke spoke with a small smirk at Temari. "The opportunity to gain a powerful bloodline shouldn't be given up so easily. If we were to send a response stating that while regretfully the Namikaze clan is unavailable, but that the Uchiha clan was, I have no doubt they would accept."

"Excuse me Uchiha-san," Choza stated. "You are already married, and your clan has no tradition of polygamy. I believe that would disqualify you from consideration."

Sasuke gave the council a razor-sharp smile and turned to face his wife.

"Sakura Uchiha, I Sasuke Uchiha, Head of Clan Uchiha hereby declare you unfit to be Uchiha. Your inability to continue the Uchiha line makes you unsuitable and I cast you out." Leaning in closer to the trembling girl, he sneered as he whispered in her ear. "You were always and will always be worthless, and now, everyone will know it."

"Sasuke-kun? Why?" Sakura managed to stutter before she ran from the room in tears. Quickly whispering to her father, Ino rose and chased after the sobbing girl. Temari glared at Sasuke from across the room. She wasn't fond of Sakura but no one deserved what the Uchiha just did.

Sasuke seemingly ignored the looks he was getting as he settled back into his seat. Looking up, he spoke.

"It seems that I am no longer married, Akimichi-san. I trust that takes care of your concern?"

"What gives you the right to do that to Sakura?" Kiba shouted from his seat behind his mother. He hadn't ever really liked the girl, but he was an Inuzuka and he simply couldn't believe someone would do something like that to a member of their own pack.

"Quiet, mutt." Sasuke snapped back. "I am well within my rights as Head of my Clan to do so. Her current inability to bear heirs under Uchiha clan law requires her removal for a more suitable replacement."

Temari butted in.

"If she is unable to bear heirs, and your Clan law requires she be able to, why would you marry her in the first place?" Everyone in the room knew why he had - to take the Uchiha council position -but Temari wondered what sort of excuse he would come up with.

"I was unaware when I married her, and was only recently informed that Hokage-sama placed a seal on my former wife that prevents conception." Sasuke glared at Temari's stomach. "Konoha needs more Uchiha now, not whenever Hokage-sama feels the time is right."

Tsunade interjected.

"Uchiha, I informed you that the seal would remain in place until Sakura was physically capable of carrying a child to term. It's a medical fact that any pregnancy she had would have complications, not simply a matter of 'the time is right'!"

"And yet, you never told me about the seal, did you Hokage-sama?" Sasuke sneered back.

Danzo raised his hands to cut off outbursts from several people in the room - including Tsunade.

"It is done. There is no point in continuing this. Now, Uchiha-san suggested we send an agreement for the Uchiha clan to enter this marriage instead of the Namikaze clan. I suggest we focus on that."

Tsunade mentally cursed when the slippery old man took control of the room. Her only real response was to get ahead of hm, and direct the course herself.

"Very well, Danzo. I assume you are seconding the motion?" At his nod of agreement, Tsunade began the council vote.

"Namikaze?"

"Namikaze votes no, Hokage-sama."

"Sarutobi?" Seeing the spot empty, Tsunade remembered that Asuma was out on a mission. "Sarutobi abstains via absence. Yamanaka?" Continuing down the line, Tsunade felt her heart sink when she realized with only the Inuzuka, Ino-Shika-Cho trio and Temari voting against it, the measure would pass.

"So be it. The council has decided to accept the Uchiha proposal. A message will be drafted for Iwagakure with the terms. If there is no other business, the council is dismissed." Tsunade stood and exited the room. She was going to need sake.

Temari waited for the rest to file out of the room and stood with a groan. Council meetings sucked in general, even without events like today, but pregnant it was even worse. She had aches in odd places and now all she really wanted to do was go home and relax, maybe soak in the onsen for awhile. As she exited the room, she was ambushed by Ino and she knew she could kiss relaxing goodbye.

"What do you want Flower-girl?" She asked a bit more harshly then she really intended.

"You gotta help me, Temari." Ino blurted out. "I can't find Sakura and I'm really worried about what she might do."

Temari sighed and dragged her hand across her face - yes, so much for relaxing.

"All right." She said grudgingly. "I suppose we shouldn't leave her alone, but where did you lose her at?"

Ino shuffled her feet nervously.

"I never actually caught up to her after she left the council chamber. I've looked around but no one has seen her."

"Fantastic." Temari hissed through clenched teeth. Catching sight of Hinata standing with her father as the man conversed with Tsume Inuzuka, Temari grabbed Ino's hand and pulled her along. "Hinata, we need your help."

"Me?" the confused girl asked. Shooting a glance at her father, she straightened her shoulders. "How may I assist you Temari-san, Ino-san?"

"Flower-girl can't find Sakura. We need you to help us find her."

Hinata shot her father another nervous glance but relaxed some when he signaled her with his fingers. Bowing to the girls in front of her, Hinata smiled.

"The Hyuga clan would be honored to assist the Namikaze and Yamanaka Clans in this endeavor. Shall we depart?"

Temari stopped Hinata when the trio exited the building.

"Hinata, what was that?"

Hinata tapped her fingers together as she responded.

"Father has told me that I need to act 'in a manner befitting the Hyuga heir'."

Ino cut in.

"Oh, that's ok, we just thought you might have been pulling a Neji on us."

Hinata blushed and had a small smile.

"Yes, Neji-niisan can be a bit formal. I was trying to act like him."

Temari and Ino both rolled their eyes causing Hinata's blush to deepen.

"Alright," Temari said. "Now that's out-of-the-way, let's go find Pinky so I can go home."

Ino sneered at her friend as they set off.

"Pregnancy making you a bit testy, Fan-Girl?"

Resisting the urge to wipe the smirk off Ino's face, Temari raised her head haughtily.

"You'll go through this sort of thing as well, you know. When you do, don't come whining to me."

The cheerful banter died when Hinata lead the trio into a park and they found Sakura passed out on a bench surrounded by sake bottles. Toeing one of the bottles, Temari's mouth twisted with distaste.

"Well, I suppose it could be worse, but what do we do with her?"

Ino sighed and grabbed her unconscious friend under her arms.

"Alright girls, grab on. Let's carry her back to her parent's house." The girls were lost in their own thoughts as they carried Sakura but they weren't expecting the reaction they got after Ino knocked on the Haruno's door.

"Hi, Haruno-san." Ino said as Sakura's mother cracked the door open. "We found Sakura in the park and after what happened this afternoon, we thought we'd bring her here."

"Ino-san, Hyuga-san, Namikaze-san." She said, sneering the last name. "I don't have a daughter named Sakura. I had one, but she was cast out of the Uchiha clan and so she is dead to us." Having said her piece, she slammed the door closed in the girl's faces.

"I was afraid of this." Ino sighed. "Ever since we were little, Sakura's parents wanted her to marry into a shinobi clan. I guess they figured that having a clan for in-laws would boost their business."

"And now that Uchiha-teme kicked her out," Temari finished for her. "They don't want anything to do with her. Fucking civilians."

Ino and Hinata stared at Temari - it was rare for the woman to swear but they were both in agreement with her.

"So, what are we going to do?" Ino asked the others. "Dad says she can't stay with us. I asked him before I went after her in the council chamber. He said that the political situation wouldn't allow it."

Hinata was next to speak.

"She can't come with me. My father would never allow it."

"Damn it." Temari cursed. "I suppose she can come with me. I think we all know that Naruto won't give a damn about any political consequences to providing refuge for a banished Uchiha. Especially this one."

Ino's eyes widened.

"Are you sure about that Temari?"

"Yes." Temari sighed. "My husband would never forgive me if I just left her but you," She said pointing at Ino," Are coming with and staying with her until she wakes up. I'm in no mood to deal with her when that happens."

Ino nodded as she ran a concerned gaze over her friend. _Temari's right, this is going to be unpleasant when she wakes up._ Smoothing Sakura's hair as the trio dragged her towards the Namikaze compound, Ino worried. _You better not try anything stupid, Forehead. You're gonna get through this._

* * *

Naruto crouched waiting for the sentry to draw closer. As the man passed him, he slapped his hand over the sentry's mouth and drove a kunai through the back of his neck. Dragging the body into the small room he'd been waiting in, Naruto stripped off the sentry's mask and examined his face.

Using his personal Henge jutsu, Naruto transformed himself into an exact duplicate of the deceased sentry. Checking to ensure no one had noticed the brief scuffle, Naruto stepped back into the hall and began following the man's rounds.

Unsure of exactly where Team Gai and Koyuki were being held, the best plan Naruto and Kakashi had been able to devise was a simple infiltration. When either shinobi located the targets, they were to free the prisoners and radio the other for back-up. Kakashi had expressed some concern at separating but had quieted when Naruto reminded him of his ability to hide from even ANBU if he needed to. He'd then made a small joke about the Snow nin not having Iruka-Sensei to track him down and the two had shared a much needed laugh.

As he patrolled through the halls, Naruto made sure to dispose of the single Snow nin he encountered. It was risky, but he figured that once he freed the team, the fewer enemies they had to deal with on the way out, the better. The only real problem he was having was with Kyubi. The Fox seemed to delight in Naruto killing and he made a mental note to discuss that with Jiraiya the next time he saw his godfather.

Raised voices from nearby got his attention and he grinned when he recognized the sound of Lee's voice echoing though hall. It seemed that the guard had gotten annoyed with Lee giving Koyuki one of his youth speeches inherited from Gai, and when Naruto poked his head around the corner, the guard was fully occupied.

Neji and Tenten sat near the back of the cell with looks that seemed to combine amusement and annoyance, as the guard yelled at Lee to shut up. Of course, this just encouraged Lee to further increase the volume and vigor of his speech and Naruto's smile mirrored Neji and Tenten's. Carefully searching for cameras or other guards, Naruto's smile turned vicious when he didn't find any.

Casually walking around the corner, his hand on the handle of his kodachi, Naruto calmly approached the guard yelling at Lee. Seeing another guard approach caused Lee to quiet as the three captive Leaf nin examined the new arrival. The guard previously occupied with Lee turned to greet his fellow Snow nin and died when Naruto whipped his kodachi through the man's throat. Wiping the blade down, Naruto keyed the mic for his tactical radio.

"Scarecrow, Fox. Team Gai located and hostile eliminated. Beginning extraction."

"Fox, Scarecrow copies. Clearing road."

Grinning at Team Gai, Naruto dropped his Henge and searched the dead guard for keys.

"Naruto, we thought you were dead!" Tenten exclaimed.

"Bah, I won't die till after I become Hokage, Tenten." Naruto retorted as he opened their cell.

Lee stood, somehow projecting fire from his eyes.

"Yosh! Your Fires of Youth burn brightly, my Eternal Rival! It is good to see you Naruto!"

Wincing and sharing a commiserating look with the saner members of Team Gai, Naruto moved across the hall and opened Koyuki's cell.

Koyuki stared at him as he undid her restraints.

"Why? Why would you come for me?"

Undoing the last shackle, Naruto smiled and extended his hand to help her to her feet.

"Because you needed someone to. Come on, Princess, let's get you your kingdom back."

Koyuki stared at his hand. She wanted with all her heart to believe but she didn't know if she could. She began to sink into her memories, the death of her father, exile from her home. The pain and lonesomeness she hid behind her work as an actress, the death of Sandayu and his loyal samurai. She felt herself drowning and instinctively reached for the light in the dark. She took Naruto's hand.

Unaware of Koyuki's thoughts, Naruto pulled her behind him to where Team Gai was reclaiming their equipment.

"Alright guys." He said, drawing their attention. "Kakashi-sensei is going to create a distraction, and we are going to get the Princess out of here."

"Why is Kakashi here?" Neji asked.

Naruto rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Baa-Chan was worried about Iwa making a move since we were near their borders so she sent him to keep an eye on me."

"So, how are we doing this?" Tenten asked as she checked over her gear.

Naruto unsealed a large stack of explosive tags and tossed them to her.

"I don't think Koyuki-Hime here needs this fortress Tenten, so while we escape, I want you to plant those wherever they'll do the most damage."

Tenten stared at the explosive tags in her hands with stars in her eyes.

"Say, Naruto," She said sweetly. "Where did you get all of these?"

"Oh, I-" He was cut off when Neji slapped a hand over his mouth.

"Naruto," Neji hissed into his ear. "While I find it to be a great asset that you can create your own explosive tags, Tenten can't know."

Lee whispered in his other ear. "Yosh, Tenten's Flames of Youth burn very bright when she has explosive tags."

Neji rolled his eyes.

"What he means to say is that Tenten goes somewhat... _insane_ with the tags. The last time Gai-sensei let her use them, she destroyed an entire training field."

Naruto glared at the two and moved Neji's hand from his mouth.

"That would have been great to know before I gave her an entire stack of my own tags." He hissed back at them.

"Oh?" Tenten said from behind Naruto. "Your own tags huh? What do they do?"

All three boys paled - of course she listened in on the conversation.

"Ehhheh," Naruto chuckled nervously. "Well, I sort of modified the level 5 demolition tags to have a bit more kick."

Lee and Neji involuntarily backed up several steps and stared at him.

"Naruto," Neji said in a subdued tone. "Aren't level 5 tags designed to breach fortress walls in siege warfare?"

Trying to ignore the truly disturbing grin Tenten was using as she stared at the tags in her hands, Naruto answered.

"Yeah, but the design is really sloppy. I just sort of tightened it up and increased the yield."

Neji stared at the madman in front of him. He'd increased the power of a level 5 explosive tag, and then given _Tenten _an entire stack of them? Madness, simply madness.

"Er, exactly how much did you increase the yield?" Neji wasn't entirely sure he wanted to know, and Lee looked like he didn't really want to know either but he simply had to ask.

Naruto tilted his head back as he thought.

"Two, maybe three times? Can't be more then five though I'm sure of that."

Neji felt ill.

A small tremor followed by the sound of an explosion brought the team back to the matter at hand.

"Alright team," Naruto said. "That had to be Kakashi-sensei, so let's get moving. Lee, take point. Tenten and I will stay next to the princess. Neji, take the rear and keep an eye out. Kakashi-sensei told me that some of these guys are wearing some sort of armor like the guys that ambushed us in the glacier. Supposedly it will block chakra so its a good thing Lee and Tenten don't really use it. Neji, if we do run into anyone with the armor, remember that any point not covered by the armor is a weakness. If you have to, take out their arms and legs and let Tenten or Lee finish them. Everyone clear?"

The members of Team Gai dropped into their assigned positions with sharp nods and even Koyuki managed a brief nod. The team began to ghost through the fortress corridors without too much trouble. Lee had to drop several sentries and Tenten wouldn't stop giggling as she placed explosive tags on several load-bearing structures they passed by.

Their streak of luck ended when they entered a large barracks room the same time two Snow nin in chakra armor entered the other side. The two parties eyed each other briefly before sinister smirks appeared on the Snow nin's faces.

"Well, well." The pink haired woman said to her companion. "It seems like the children have come to play, Mizore."

Mizore smashed his fist into the palm of what appeared to be a metal arm.

"Right you are, Fubuki, right you are. Hopefully they provide more entertainment this time."

Naruto sized them up and passed orders quickly.

"Tenten, Lee, take the woman. Neji, guard Koyuki-Hime. If you see an opening, take it but your priority is to keep her safe." Sliding forward towards Mizore, he drew his kodachi. "Careful - these guys are wearing that armor we were talking about."

Naruto quickly lost track of anything but his own battle. His opponent was fast and strong, boosted by the chakra armor no doubt, but still dangerous. Several minutes of furious blow and counter-blow resulted in Naruto and Mizore locked in a stalemate. Naruto was marginally faster but Mizore was considerably stronger, especially boosted by the chakra armor. Several times Naruto was almost killed by odd attacks from the man's metal arm. All Naruto had to show for his effort was several scratches across the center of Mizore's armor.

Parrying yet another strike from the man's metallic arm, Naruto was forced to duck and roll forward to avoid the cables it launched. He cursed when released that even with Ero-Sennin's training, he didn't quite have the speed he needed to overcome his physical limitations. _Stupid freaking short arms_. Fine, if he couldn't win in a straight up fight, it was time to draw from his bag of tricks.

Waiting for the man to launch his arm at him again, Naruto finally got his chance. As the arm arced in towards him, Naruto dodged forward and pretended to trip. Rolling forwards towards the man, Naruto released his hold on his kodachi and allowed Mizore to grab him with his normal hand.

"That was a mistake." Naruto coldly told Mizore as he formed rasengan in both hands and swept them forward into the man's arm.

The two jutsu ground through Mizore's arm and when they collided, the side effect wasn't what Naruto was expecting. He'd expected an explosion, and had angled his palms to try to deflect most of it away from his body. What he got was a small explosion and a condensed beam of chakra that ripped up through Mizore's shoulder and cut through the walls. _Holy hell, _he thought. _That looked an awful lot like a bijudama._

Mizore dropped towards Naruto, his body in shock after losing his arm. As he fell, the last thing he saw was Naruto drawing a strange three-pronged kunai and driving it towards his throat.

Naruto kicked Mizore's body off and pulled his hiraishin kunai from its resting place in Mizore's throat. Wiping the blade off on the dead man's tunic, Naruto took time to check his surroundings. Neji and Koyuki were still safe - several bodies near Neji showed that he had been busy. Tenten and Lee were still fighting the pink-haired woman. She was using her armor to fly around and keep Lee out of range while deflecting the weapons Tenten was hurling at her. Watching Tenten unseal a small battleaxe and throw it, Naruto was struck with a sudden thought. _Exactly how many freaking pointy things does she even have in those scrolls of hers?_

Deciding to get the answer to that later, Naruto moved to reclaim his kodachi and considered ways to deal with this last pest. She wasn't paying attention to him but her flightpath was too erratic for him to hit with thrown weapons. He'd use Kunai Kage Bunshin, but her chakra armor would absorb or deflect all the clone weapons, same with his small ninjutsu library. Searching the room for inspiration, Naruto's eyes fell on the corpse of Mizore. _Hmm, I wonder if I can overload that armor. It has to have a limit to what it can stop right?_

Forming the largest rasengan he could in both hands, Naruto carefully studied Fubuki's movements. _There, she always dips left after she dodges up. I've got you now._ Preparing to slam his rasengan together, Naruto belatedly realized he needed to warn his team.

"Lee, Tenten, get down! Now! Rasengan beam!" Once again, the colliding rasengan created a beam of chakra but this time the beam was almost as thick as Naruto's waist. He could only stare in awe when the beam ripped straight through Fubuki and her armor before smashing through the wall.

Naruto dropped to one knee panting. It took a hell of a lot more chakra to do that then a regular rasengan but he could already see some uses for it.

"Scarecrow, Fox." he said keying his mic after catching his breath. "Two chakra armored hostiles down, you pick up the third?"

A brief crackle of static and Kakashi responded.

"Fox, Scarecrow. Affirmative, third armor terminated. Gave me a bit of trouble. You?"

Naruto gave his team a weary smile.

"Bit of trouble, nothing we couldn't handle. Continue with plan?"

"Affirmative, rendezvous at start point. Scarecrow clear."

Accepting a hand from Neji, Naruto pulled himself to his feet.

"Good news guys, Kakashi-sensei got that third guy with the armor so hopefully we won't have too much trouble the rest of the way out." Naruto extended his hand to Koyuki with a warm smile. "Come on Princess, let's get you out of here. Same positions guys. Let's go."

The corridors were empty as the team passed through and Naruto felt increasingly uneasy. He just knew he shouldn't have said that getting out would be easy and he suspected he probably cursed himself to another fight. The only member of the group that seemed immune to the tension was Tenten but it was hard to tell since she was still constantly giggling as she slapped explosive tags onto things.

"So, Naruto." Neji called from his rearguard position. "How long have you been able to create giant beams of chakra?"

Naruto cursed under his breath when he felt even Tenten's attention swing towards him for his answer.

"Just now, actually." He said with a nervous chuckle. "When I was fighting the guy with the metal arm I accidentally slammed two rasengan together and it kinda shot chakra out."

"Yosh, your Flames of Youth burn bright indeed." Lee called back, putting his two ryo in.

Neji rolled his eyes. One does not simply accidentally create an A-class attack jutsu then turn around and use it a second time immediately after. Madness!

Further conversation ended when Neji called out a warning and Naruto grabbed Koyuki to pull her out of the way of a vicious Ice jutsu shaped like a black dragon that tore through where she had been walking.

Naruto and his team formed a diamond formation around Koyuki facing towards where the jutsu originated. They tensed when a tall man wearing a black chakra armor version calmly strode out of the shadows. Koyuki tensed when she saw him and grabbed Naruto's hand.

"It's my uncle." She whispered to Naruto. "He killed my father and tried to kill me."

Naruto smiled at her and gently pried her hands off of his.

"Sorry Koyuki-Hime, I need my hands to fight. Don't worry, I promise he won't touch you."

"Ahh, how touching. The little Leaf shinobi promises to save the princess." Doto called out. "It's to bad that you'll have to break your promise. This new prototype chakra armor is much stronger than that worn by those fools you defeated. Soon I will have the treasure my brother hid - and with it, I will create an army using chakra armor, and we will crush the Gokage villages and I will rule this _world_!"

Tuning out the monologue, Naruto signaled his team their orders. With Doto using chakra armor, Neji was severely limited, but he could take her and rendezvous with Kakashi just fine. Lee and Tenten he ordered to attack. As the man finally reached the end of his 'rule the world' spiel, Neji slipped away using the remaining three's attacks as a distraction.

Naruto quickly realized that they were severely outclassed. He figured that Doto was probably at least a strong as a normal jonin without the armor. That would be bad enough, but doable with three talented Nin like Lee, Tenten and himself. Enhanced by his armor, Doto was probably pushing S-class which was bad news. Gritting his teeth, Naruto realized he was going to have to use Kyubi's power for this fight.

Signaling Lee and Tenten to regroup, he hastily explained.

"Guys, we can't beat him like this. I'm going to have to use Kyubi." Glancing at Doto, Naruto was struck by the man's arrogance. He was standing just standing there with a mocking smile as the teens hurriedly conversed. He was apparently going to just let them come up with a plan to attack him. Looking back at his friends, he saw the concern etched on their faces. "Go on guys," He said, giving them a foxy grin. "I'll be fine, I promise."

Lee placed a hand on Tenten's shoulder, "Come Tenten, we know that Naruto always keeps his promises. We must leave him to his fight."

Tenten blinked - apparently Lee was learning to copy Gai's ability to become completely serious if the situation required it. Useful but frustrating since she knew he would be ranting about youth in no time. Stepping forward she gave Naruto a brief hug.

"You better be alright. I still need you to teach me how to make explosive tags!"

Naruto watched his friends leave and turned back to Doto. Dropping back into a battle stance, he drew his kodachi and began working to unlock some of Kyubi's power.

"So, they left you behind. How foolish," Doto mocked, secure in his victory. "Don't worry little boy, they'll be following you shortly - along with my niece."

Naruto once again blessed the arrogance of the man. The armor might boost his abilities to be comparable to a S-class shinobi, but he sure didn't have the mindset. Any true S-class would have instantly assumed anyone left behind as a rearguard would have some sort of trump card and prepared for it. It was obvious from the man's face and stance that he didn't view Naruto as a threat at all. Naruto aimed to correct that.

Drawing on the Kyubi's power, Naruto felt his teeth lengthen as his nails formed claws. Channeling only enough for the initial transformation, Naruto didn't have any tails waving behind him, but Doto's laughter paused when he saw Naruto's blood-red eyes.

Doto realized he may have made a mistake when he felt the power emanating from the black and orange clad boy in front of him. Something about the boy seemed familiar and he suddenly remembered a passage from the most recent Iwa bingo book regarding... the Kyubi Jinchuriki? His eyes widened in shock causing him to barely dodge a slash from Naruto's kodachi. If this truly was the Kyubi jinchuriki, and he believed it was, he was in serious trouble.

Naruto drew a grim satisfaction at the dawning panic in Doto's eyes and he continued to press hard against the man's defenses.

"What was that?" He growled. "I thought you were going to kill me?" His momentary inattention cost him and Doto caught him with a solid punch that slammed him against a nearby wall.

Regaining his footing, he saw Doto forming seals, and two black dragons made of ice roared towards him as Doto finished his jutsu. Channeling Kyubi's chakra through his kodachi, causing it to glow an ominous red, Naruto slashed through the incoming jutsu and rammed his kodachi through Doto's shoulder, pinning him to the wall.

"Your ambitions end here." He snarled forming a Kyubi enhanced rasengan with is free hand. "All the pain, all the suffering you've caused, I'll make you feel it tenfold!" Naruto drove his rasengan against the center of Doto's chakra armor, slowly grinding it through his chest.

Realizing that he was being influenced by Kyubi, Naruto stepped back and allowed his rasengan to dissipate. Allowing Kyubi's power to fade away, Naruto nearly dropped from the built up fatigue. Drawing his kodachi out of Doto's shoulder, Naruto swiftly beheaded the man then cleaned and sheathed his blade. Leaning against the wall, he slowly slid down until he was sitting on the floor and keyed his radio.

"Scarecrow, Fox. Come get me, sensei."

"Copy Fox, We're coming."

Without the Kyubi's power, he was beginning to feel the ache from some of Doto's blows. He grimaced as he gently touched his ribs - probably broke a couple. _Great, more hospital time._ Naruto smiled when he saw Team Gai along with Koyuki and Kakashi. Friends were good.

Dozing off as they carefully cared him, Naruto only woke when Tenten poked him and told him to detonate the explosive tags. She hadn't done all the work in setting them to miss out on the explosion. Deciding to do it so she would leave him alone and he could go back to sleep, Naruto detonated the activated tags in the fortress.

Kakashi, Koyuki and Team Gai all stared as the fortress seemed to lift in the air in a flash of flame then slam back to earth. Ducking under cover with the snoozing Naruto, they waited for the debris to stop flying and poked their heads up cautiously. Several chunks remained but it was one of the most though destruction jobs Kakashi had ever seen and he sweat-dropped when Tenten told him Naruto had plenty more of those tags with a giggle.

Lifting Naruto and heading towards the nearest town, Kakashi wondered if he should warn the Hokage that Naruto could apparently destroy most of the village without much effort. _Nah, _he thought flipping open his favorite book. _To much work._

* * *

Two weeks later, Naruto lead Team Gai to the gates of Konoha as the sun began to set.

"Alright guys, meet at the Hokage's office tomorrow at 0900 for mission debrief. Until then, dismissed." Saluting, Team Gai left and headed for their respective homes. Approaching his own home, Naruto noticed the place seemed to feel a bit different and he began to worry.

Opening the door, he saw Temari sitting at the table with a haggard expression. She brightened up when she saw him, but he wondered why she still seemed so worn out. Sitting across from her at the table, he reached out and gently clasped her hands.

"Temari-chan, what's wrong?"

Temari sighed.

"We have a guest. A rather _permanent_ guest as far as I can tell."

"Oh?" Naruto replied. "Why is a guest leaving you look this drained?"

"It's Sakura. She was forced from the Uchiha clan and her parents disowned her." Temari began to babble, the emotions of the past weeks catching up to her. "I brought her here cause I knew you would want me to help her but all she's done is cry for the last two weeks and even with Ino we have to watch her cause she's tried to commit suicide." Stopping to catch her breath, Temari felt herself being pulled into a hug.

"Shh, it's alright Temari-chan." Stroking her hair to calm her, Naruto felt bad for Temari. Life never seemed to give her a break. "I'll watch over Sakura-chan so you and Ino can get some sleep but first, I need you to tell me everything that happened while I was gone."

* * *

"_**Kincaid! Bolshevik Muppet!"**_

― _**Jim Butcher, Blood Rites **_

**AN**

**Finally done. Argh this chapter drove me nuts. It was originally supposed to be two chapters, Snow then Temari, with Naruto at the end of the second chapter asking her what the hell happened while he was gone. Dragon convinced me to do it as one chapter but it was a tad more difficult than I thought it was gonna be. Speaking of Dragon, he has managed to get all the way through Chapter 5 edited so go back and check them out if you want. See you guys in the reviews and in the next chapter. o7**


	15. The Devil you know

Disclaimer: Yeah... I still don't own Naruto

**This chapter rendered coherent by So Said the Dragon.**

It's late, I'm tired and I probably screwed something up, but I swear it'll get fixed eventually. Check it out, Fixed :D

* * *

"_**It isn't good to hold on too hard to the past. You can't spend your whole life looking back. Not even when you can't see what lies ahead. All you can do is keep on keeping on, and try to believe that tomorrow will be what it should be—even if it isn't what you expected."**_

― _**Jim Butcher, Death Masks **_

* * *

Naruto sat at his desk in his father's old study, intently reading a scroll concerning Uzumaki clan practices. The news that Iwagakure was trying to use an Uzumaki Clan custom he had been completely unaware of had been most unpleasant. He was profoundly grateful to Temari for stopping it, even if the results left him with a strong desire to murder Sasuke.

Before coming downstairs - after tucking an exhausted Temari into bed - he'd popped his head in to check on Sakura. The sight of his old crush restlessly pulling against her restraints in her sleep had made him almost angry enough to draw on Kyubi's power. The ugly scars running down the girls forearms, the reason for the restraints, had literally left him seeing red before he fled the room to calm down.

_I may not be able to do anything directly to you Sasuke,_ he fumed as he continued to read his scroll, _but don't think I won't make you pay for hurting Sakura-chan like that._ Shaking off his resurgent anger, he pursed his lips as he got to the section of the scroll regarding marriage. It really was interesting.

The old Uzumaki practice wasn't designed simply to expand the family. After the marriage, the women were legally considered to be sisters and any children were considered to belong to all adults in the marriage. The goal was to offer as safe and stable an environment for the children as possible for shinobi and to provide a support net for the spouses.

Naruto set the scroll down and pursed his lips as he thought. He could see the advantages, but he had no desire for another wife. He hadn't particularly wanted to marry Temari, even if he was now glad that he had. Naruto snorted, as far as he was concerned, he was hers, and she was his. He had no desire to screw up the dynamic of their relationship, even if he wasn't entirely sure what it was. _How does one know if they love their wife anyway?_

Pushing back his chair, Naruto stood and stretched with a yawn. A quick glance at the clock told him he had some time to sleep before he needed to meet with Baa-Chan and Team Gai. Padding softly up the stairs, Naruto snorted at a sudden thought. _I need rest if I'm to deal with Lee. Being back, he's probably recharged his 'youth'."_

Passing Sakura's room, he paused when he heard her whimpering in her sleep. He wanted to go and comfort her, but it was probably a bad idea. Sighing, he resumed his trek to the master bedroom. Entering the room, he paused again to drink in the image before him. The slight breeze through the open window caused the curtains to move causing shadows to dance across his wife in the moonlight. Sometime after Naruto had tucked her in, Temari had kicked off some of her blankets and Naruto moved forward in a daze to lightly run his hand along the smooth skin of her legs. _Kami she's beautiful_ he thought with a lump in his throat.

Quickly stripping down and changing into his normal nightwear, he slid in behind Temari and wrapped his arms around her. Nuzzling his nose against the back of her neck, he breathed in the scent of his wife and felt himself relax. When Temari snuggled further into his embrace in her sleep, claiming one of his arms as her new pillow, Naruto grinned and placed his other hand against the barely noticeable bump on her stomach. Closing his eyes, he felt himself completely at peace and he fell asleep with one last thought. _Maybe this is how you know._

The first rays of sunlight woke Naruto and he blearily glared at the sun for waking him. He didn't want to get up - he was comfortable, damn it, but duty called. At some point, Temari had rolled over in her sleep and wrapped a leg around him. Pleasant and comfortable, but he wasn't sure how he was suppose to get up without disturbing her and she simply looked too peaceful to wake up. Looking around the room for some way to escape, Naruto glumly came to the conclusion that he was going to have to wake her up. Reaching forward he gently smoothed her hair back behind her ear.

"Temari-chan." He said quietly. "Temari-chan, wake up, I need to go."

Temari mumbled in her sleep and pulled him even closer than before, hooking her foot around his ankle to hold him in place. _Well, that didn't work._ Glancing outside, he figured he still had some time so leaning forward, he kissed his sleeping wife. At that first electric contact with her lips, Naruto deepened his kiss, pouring all his emotions, all the longing he'd felt for her while he was away into it. He almost didn't notice when her hand came up to stroke his whisker mark,s but he did and opening his eyes, he saw Temari's green eyes watching him with a sparkle.

"Good morning, Naru-kun," she whispered huskily when he broke off the kiss. Using the leverage her leg provided, she flipped Naruto onto his back and straddled his stomach. Leaning forward, her unbound hair brushing against the sides of his face, she pressed her forehead against his with a throaty chuckle. "If that's how you wake me after you've been gone, I might have to ask Tsunade-sama to send you out more often."

"Aw, no fair Temari-chan." Naruto pouted. "I was just showing you how much I missed you."

Temari chuckled again and ran her hand up under his t-shirt.

"Oh? I can think of other ways you might show me you missed me."

Naruto groaned as he tried to ignore his body's reaction to Temari gently running her nails along his skin.

"I would love to, datteboyo, but I have to go report on the mission to the Old Hag."

Temari pouted from her place on top of him.

"Does it have to be now?" She whined.

Naruto raised his hand and cupped her cheek gently.

"Yes, I ordered Team Gai to meet me there at 0900 and I'm sure if I don't show, Baa-Chan will send Lee to get me."

Temari shuddered. She didn't want him to leave but dealing with Lee this early in the morning? She preferred to keep her sanity intact thank you.

"Fine," She groused. "But you owe me."

Before she could slide off him, Naruto captured her mouth with another brief kiss.

"I promise I will, Temari-chan."

Nodding, Temari moved back to her side of the bed so he could get up. Watching him get dressed, amused by the fact that he seemed embarrassed by it, she was surprised when he turned back to her with a serious expression.

"Temari-chan, how do you know if you love someone?" He asked quietly.

Buying time to think of an answer, Temari slid off the bed and donned her robe. Gliding across the room to her husband, she tilted his face to hers with a finger.

"I'm not sure what to tell you Naruto." Temari sighed sadly. "You know that growing up wasn't very happy for me, not as bad as you and certainly not as bad as Gaara but I don't think I have the answer." Seeing Naruto shift uncomfortably, she gave him a gentle smile. "I do know that I'm happy here with you Naruto. Even when you piss me off, I still enjoy the time I get with you. When you were gone on that mission, I worried every single day and I prayed to Kami that you would come back to me." Temari pulled Naruto into a hug. "I don't know if it's love but for me, it's enough."

Naruto felt a tear trail down his face as he returned Temari's embrace. Everything she'd said, he'd felt and she was right. It was enough for him too. Gently pushing her away, he reached up and smoothed her hair behind her ear smiling at her.

"You make me happy too, Temari-chan."

The sound of nearby sobs tore the teens from their moment and both cursed under their breath in-sync. Naruto ran his hand over his face in irritation.

"Damn, I forgot about her." Glancing at the clock next tot eh bed, Naruto groaned. "Temari-chan, can you watch her until I get done with Baa-Chan?" Seeing the glare Temari gave him, he held his hands out defensively. "I know you and Ino watched her before, but I promise I'll try and take care of this after my meeting with Baa-Chan."

Temari sighed and massaged her temple.

"Fine, but you better keep that promise."

Naruto gave her a thumbs up as he began to head out the door.

"Of course, I always keep my promises, datteboyo!"

Temari just waved absently after him and tightened her robe. She hadn't been fond of Sakura and after two weeks of her raving suicidal behavior, she was tempted to just kill her. Only the fact that Naruto would be very angry kept her from doing it, and she had days she wasn't sure she cared.

Heading downstairs to the kitchen, she muttered under her breath as she prepared a small breakfast and placed it on a tray. While far from a gourmet chef, Temari had been spurred by the fact that Naruto was a better cook and had learned some simple dishes from Ino. Lifting the tray, Temari headed back upstairs to the room Sakura was restrained in and pushed the door open with her foot.

Setting the tray down on the table next to the bed, Temari sighed when Sakura refused to look at her. Glaring at the girl just staring at the ceiling, Temari realized she was going to have to feed the damn pink haired twit again.

"You are so lucky my husband wants you alive, Sakura." She said, sitting down and picking up the chopsticks. "I really don't know what he plans to do, but now that he is back, you're his problem."

Focused on getting Sakura to swallow, Temari didn't notice the brief flicker of life in Sakura's eyes when she mentioned Naruto.

* * *

Naruto fairly flew out the door of his house and immediately hit the brakes in curiosity when he saw a small line of foxes sitting on their haunches in the training ground in front of Reynard. The larger fox yipped something at the foxes in line and one stepped out of line and faced a target dummy. After Reynard yipped again with an obvious tone of command, Naruto felt his eyes widen when the fox spewed a burst of blueish flame. His jaw dropped when the targeted dummy was shattered and not burned. Pinching the bridge of his nose to stave off a headache, Naruto continued on his way. _Oh yeah, foxes spewing ice breath is so much better than foxes shooting fireballs. Stupid civilians are gonna freak if this gets out._

That cheerful thought dwelling in his head, Naruto took to the roofs and made his way towards the Hokage tower. Getting close, he dropped to one knee and a wide grin split his face. It was time to pull a page from both his sensei's book.

"**Good morning, Baa-chan**!" He yelled as he popped in through the window of her office. He openly laughed when he saw her choke on the sake she'd been sipping, and knowing the next step of the dance, dodged to the side when she winged the empty sake jar at his head. "Aw, don't be like that Baa-chan," He called out as the jar smashed against the wall. "You know you missed me."

Tsunade dropped her forehead onto her desk with an audible thump and childishly covered her head with her hands in a vain attempt to make Naruto go away. Peeking up, she saw him still standing there with that infuriating grin but before she could lace into him, the office door opened and Team Gai entered, followed by Shizune.

Tsunade sat up straight in her chair and laced her fingers in front of her face. The brat would pay later, for now it was business.

"Naruto, Team Gai, I understand you had an interesting time with this last mission. Report."

Naruto proceeded to brief Tsunade on the events in the Land of Snow. Neji and Tenten occasionally interjected with their own observations while Lee maintained a running commentary on the youth or un-youth of certain actions. Ignoring it, Naruto finished up.

"Yeah Baa-Chan, turns out that Hex Crystal thing Koyuki-Hime was wearing actually started some sort of heat generator thing. Turns out the treasure Doto-teme killed his brother over was a way to melt the snow."

Tsunade raised and eyebrow.

"Seriously? He killed his brother, tried to kill his niece and the entire time there wasn't even a treasure?"

Naruto exchanged glances with his temporary team.

"Pretty much Baa-chan. Koyuki-hime said that once they get the generator to work right, the Land of Snow would become the Land of Spring or something like that. It's pretty cool though. That's the second country I've helped save you know!"

Tsunade rolled her eyes, it was true enough but she couldn't let it go to his head.

"Yeah, that's great Naruto, but I shouldn't have to remind you that we weren't _paid _to save a country."

Naruto sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck with a cheesy grin.

"Oh, yeah about that, Koyuki-hime sent a scroll for you. She said something about it being payment and she also sent something else." Pulling a sealing scroll out, Naruto unsealed a battered set of Chakra Armor and a sealed scroll. Rotating the armor so Tsunade could see it, Naruto grinned. "Yeah, I really hate this stuff but she said we could have this and I figured the tech guys would like it." Naruto frowned. "We do have tech guys right?"

Motioning for Naruto to seal the armor away, Tsunade rolled her eyes again. "Yes Gaki, we do indeed have 'tech guys'. I don't know if they'll be able to do anything with this, but I'm sure they'll love it. Now, the scroll?"

"Oh, yeah." Naruto walked to the desk and handed her the scrolls.

Opening the sealed diplomatic scroll, Tsunade quickly read it, the stopped and read it again in disbelief. Slowly a maniacal smile formed on her face and Naruto shifted nervously. Anything that made Tsunade smile like that was probably really, really bad for him. He flinched when she turned that gaze on him.

"Gaki, you have any idea what's on this?"

Neji deactivated his byakugan with a smirk and whispered to Tenten, causing her to giggle as well. This made his planned revenge even sweeter.

Naruto stared suspiciously at Neji and Tenten, then turned back to Tsunade.

"No, it was sealed."

Tsunade gave him a beatific smile.

"Well, you'll find out at the next council meeting. For now, though mistakes were made during this mission, at least you all came home alive. Dismissed."

Naruto waited till Team Gai exited then closed the door and turned back to Tsunade.

"Baa-chan, can we have a private chat?"

Tsunade considered him carefully. Naruto was being almost completely serious, which was worrying. Raising a hand, Tsunade signaled the hidden ANBU for privacy.

"What's on your mind, Naruto?"

Seating himself, Naruto pulled out a tri-pronged kunai and twirled it around his finger as he collected his thoughts.

"Baa-Chan, Temari filled me in on what happened while I was gone." He finally started. "I'm not sure how I can fix Sakura-chan but I'm worried about this Iwagakure kunoichi."

Tsunade nodded agreement.

"Yes. You should be extremely careful if Iwagakure accepts, and I expect they probably will." Naruto raised and eyebrow at that and Tsunade smiled bitterly. "Jiraiya has done a very good job in cleaning out spies since the chunin exams. I can't help but feel that since you were asked for first, you are still Iwagakure's primary target."

Naruto grimaced.

"What about Temari-chan?"

Tsunade drummed her fingers on the desk.

"Also a possibility. Her death would ruin the alliance with Sunagakure. I suspect that her life is safe until she delivers her baby, but that adds even more complications."

Naruto flexed his fingers as if they were claws.

"I don't care who they are Baa-Chan. No one threatens my family and gets away with it."

Tsunade smiled grimly.

"Good, but remember Naruto, you can't act without proof. Even I can't protect you if you do."

Naruto stood and flashed her a razor-sharp smile.

"Don't worry Baa-Chan. I won't cause **serious** problems for you." Nodding at Tsunade Naruto headed for the door.

"Naruto," Tsunade called as he opened the door. "That applies to dealing with the Uchiha as well, just so you know." Naruto waved his acknowledgment of the order and exited the office. Tsunade pinched the bridge of her nose when she realized he had only promised not to cause serious problems. _Gaki is gonna stir up trouble, I just know it_ she thought. _I'll bet his version of 'serious' doesn't match mine either._

Naruto paused in the hall outside the office when he almost ran over Neji.

"Hey Neji, you need something?" He was somewhat creeped out by the eerie little smile the normally stoic teen was sporting.

"Ah, yes. I have something for your wife." Neji said, handing Naruto a small thin box. "Princess Koyuki sent this along as a present for Temari-san."

Naruto eyed the wrapped box suspiciously.

"What is it?"

"I believe she said it was an autographed picture. The princess is a famous actress. I have duties I must attend to, if you'll excuse me, Naruto." Neji bowed and left Naruto staring at the box in his hands. As soon as he made it outside, Neji let out a somewhat evil cackle before he could compose himself. He still couldn't wipe the smirk completely off his face.

Naruto couldn't help but feel a sense of foreboding as he stared at the box in his hand. He was debating opening it when he noticed someone approach him. Sealing the box into the same storage seal on his sleeve his kodachi resided in, Naruto looked up to see Danzo observing him. _Great,_ Naruto thought sourly. _From what my father's journal said, this guy is no joke. Why Kami? Why is it always me?_

"May I help you, Elder Danzo?" He asked politely.

"Uzumaki-san." Danzo said sternly. "I was hoping for a moment of your time." The tone of his voice implied that this was not really a request.

"I have several things I must do, but I can spare some time, Danzo-san." Naruto replied heavily emphasizing the _some_.

Danzo didn't let it show on his face but the boy was actually slightly impressive. Wary but willing to play the game and not being loud like when he was younger. Perhaps the boy wasn't a total failure after all.

"This will not take long, Uzumaki-san. If you will follow me to my office?"

Naruto bowed slightly and motioned for Danzo to lead on. Following Danzo, Naruto frantically reviewed everything his father had written about the man. This was a potentially very dangerous situation for his dream of being Hokage, but it wasn't in Naruto's nature not to accept a challenge.

Opening the door to a small office located two floors below the Hokage's office, Danzo motioned Naruto to take a seat as he moved behind the desk and sat himself.

"I'm sure you're curious why I've brought you here?"

"It was certainly different." Naruto replied, giving nothing away.

Danzo formed a thin smile. _So Uzumaki wishes to play word games._

"Yes, I'm sure it was. Do you know who I am?"

Naruto eyed the bandaged man in front of him and suddenly grew tired of the man's game.

"My father's journal has much to say about you, Danzo-san." Naruto said grimly. He took a small measure in satisfaction at the slight twitch the mention of his father's journal caused in the impassive man. "I'm aware of Root, and I'm aware of why my father didn't shut you down even with your training methods."

Danzo stared at the boy in front of him with a small degree of shock. Everything he knew of the boy said that if he had information like that, he would never have kept it secret.

"Who else knows this?" Danzo asked, planing on silencing everyone involved.

Naruto's eye twitched - did the man think he was stupid? Ignoring the Kyubi's laughter, Naruto fought the urge to face-palm when he realized that Danzo did indeed think he was that stupid. Obviously he wasn't aware of Temari tutoring him or the shadow clones he'd left to study when he trained. Book learning was not his thing, but he'd successfully covered the academy classes and then some. Realizing he was getting a bit off course, he glared back at Danzo.

"Even if there was someone, I wouldn't tell you. I'm not the same as I was when I was in the academy, Danzo-san."

Danzo remained impassive.

"I see, so what do you plan to do with this knowledge of yours?"

Naruto sat back in his chair.

"I don't plan on doing anything. I told you, my father didn't shut you down, and I'm aware of the reason he did not."

"Oh, what would that be?"

Naruto sighed.

"Can we stop playing games here? It's boring and annoying. I can't kill you, and you can't kill me. I'm not powerful enough to take you down, and you wouldn't kill the village Jinchuriki without a damn good cause."

Danzo tapped his cane as he thought, the boy did have a point.

"Very well Uzumaki-san. Why did your father not shut this Root down?"

"Still not admitting it huh?" Naruto said with a small sneer. "Whatever. My father didn't shut down Root because he knew that there were times he would need a deniable force. Someone that no one could track back to Konoha to do the dirty jobs no one wanted to know about. Sound about right?"

Danzo gave Naruto another thin smile.

"Perhaps. If you have this information, why would you not pass it along to the Hokage?"

Naruto gritted his teeth in frustration. Stupid old man wasn't giving him anything.

"Because it wouldn't do any good and would do much harm. Baa-Chan would never accept that something like Root could be needed and I would prefer not to start a round of civil war in the village. Especially since Kumo and Iwa both have to be eying us for any sign of weakness after the invasion."

Danzo sat back in his chair.

"That's very fascinating Uzumaki-san. I notice that you failed to mention Sunagakure as a possible enemy. Perhaps your wife is influencing you?"

Naruto growled at Danzo and forced himself to relax when he heard the wood of the chair creak from the pressure he applied to it.

"I would leave my wife out of this conversation if you desire to continue breathing, old man. You know that Suna is not a threat to us, and frankly it will be years before they could be. Temari-chan swore an oath to Konoha and I dare you to find any time she failed to uphold it."

"No, your wife is an admirable kunoichi, and I am pleased that she takes her treaty duties seriously enough to already be carrying an heir." Naruto flushed a bit at that. It certainly hadn't been planned. Danzo continued, secretly somewhat amused at Naruto's discomfiture. "I will admit that this meeting has not gone planned and that you are not what I was lead to believe. That leaves me with the question of why you came."

Naruto sat forward and stared directly into Danzo's eye.

"Stop supporting the Uchiha."

Danzo couldn't hide a small flinch.

"Pardon?"

Naruto gave him a teeth filled smile.

"My father's journal states that you wanted to become Hokage yourself. Now that my heritage is known, and no one is sabotaging me, perhaps on orders from a certain council elder, the one most likely to become Hokage is me."

Danzo tilted his head quizzically.

"Your statement does not answer my question."

"We both know that unless something happens to me, I'll be Hokage, which means you will not be able to fulfill that desire of yours." Naruto replied evenly. "As I stated earlier, you can't kill me 'cause I'm the village jinchuriki and a smear campaign would be useless. The older civilians pretty much hate me, but try to kiss my ass anyway since I'm a Namikaze. The younger civies and most of the shinobi, now that they know what I am, aren't really happy with their elders. I'm getting sidetracked. Since you won't become Hokage, you will be looking for an heir to your legacy."

Danzo tapped his cane.

"Say that you are correct, why would I not support a member of a founding clan?"

"Because ultimately he will betray you as well." Naruto said with a sigh. "I've had a lot of time to think about it, and Sasuke was always driven by power. In and of itself that isn't bad, but he seeks power simply for power's sake."

Danzo frowned.

"Well, you seem to have all the answers. What would you suggest, Uzumaki-san?"

Naruto stood and moved towards the door.

"If I were you, I'd take one of your drones, one that you haven't completely broken yet. Take that member and train them to be your successor. I know of your training from my father's journal." Naruto reminded Danzo. "I would point out that emotionless weapons are sort of a one time use. I would suggest you give them something to fight for other than just your orders."

Having said his piece, Naruto exited the office leaving Danzo deep in thought.

Danzo stared at the door after Naruto left replaying the conversation in his head. The Jinchuriki was far more dangerous than Danzo had believed, but that was a good thing. He didn't agree with many of the boy's points, but perhaps he was right about the Uchiha. That banishment of his former wife in front of the entire council had certainly not been a wise move, even if Danzo had played it to his advantage. He wasn't quite ready to give up that investment, but Uzumaki's suggestion about training a replacement had some merit. Perhaps he should begin to train an heir as he watched the Uchiha.

* * *

Naruto moved quickly after exiting the Hokage Tower. The meeting with Danzo had frazzled his nerves and he hoped the man had bought his explanation. Naruto had every intention of tearing the organization out by the roots. He smirked a bit at the pun in his head, but he was being totally truthful when he told Danzo the timing wasn't right. He had a feeling that Danzo was going to become a giant pain in his ass in years to come, but hopefully the man would stop backing Sasuke.

Naruto paused in his wandering as he passed the Yamanaka flower shop, and he remembered that Temari still hadn't handed him his head over leaving with just a note. Perhaps he could head that off? Walking through the door to the jingle of the bell, Naruto smiled cheerfully when he saw Ino studying a scroll at the counter.

"Hey, Ino-chan." He called out, startling the poor girl with his volume. "You know that whole _language of the flowers_ thing right?"

Ino rolled her eyes at him behind the counter.

"Well duh Naruto, I'm not only a kunoichi but a florist as well."

Naruto rubbed the back of his neck and gave her a sheepish smile.

"Yeah, yeah, I know that, I was just checking. So, is there a floral arraignment that says s_orry I left on a month-long mission and told you with a note_?"

Ino narrowed her eyes at him.

"You did that?" Naruto nodded. "You're still alive? How is it that Fan-Girl didn't kill you?"

Naruto shrugged.

"When I got home last night, Temari was really worn out from watching Sakura-chan. I rubbed her shoulders when I tucked her into bed and I had to report to Baa-Chan this morning. She hasn't really had time to go off on me yet."

Ino nodded.

"Alright, I'll help you save your butt this time, Whiskers, but only because I need you alive to snap Forehead out of whatever it is she's doing."

"Thanks Ino-chan, you're awesome." Naruto beamed at the girl, completely missing the bush his comment caused. "So, what can I use?"

Ino moved to a display case and rapidly assembled a bouquet.

"These are desert lilies I grew from the leftover seeds from when you and Gaara made that oasis for Temari. I can't promise that these will save you, but since they are her favorite flower, it's worth a shot."

"Yatta!" Naruto yelled, wrapping Ino up in a bear-hug. "Thanks Ino-chan, you're the greatest."

Grabbing the bouquet and tossing some bills on the counter, Naruto dashed out of the shop and headed home.

Behind him, Ino slowly sank onto her stool behind the counter blushing furiously.

"No way." She whispered to herself. "There is just no way, I can't like him."

It was perhaps fortunate for Ino's state of mind that she didn't see her father watching her from the entrance to the back of the shop. _Hmm, most interesting indeed._

Hurrying home, Naruto was disappointed to find a note from Temari saying she would be home in the late afternoon. Pulling out a vase, Naruto placed the flowers in some water and then took a deep breath as he headed upstairs. Opening the door to Sakura's room, he hid a wince when he saw her staring blankly at the ceiling. Sitting himself in the chair next to the bed, Naruto reached over and laid his hand on her shoulder gently.

"Hello Sakura-chan."

"_**Just because you start out as one thing, it doesn't mean you can't grow into something else."**_

― _**Jim Butcher, White Night **_

**AN**

**So, lots of stuff happening. Gotta say, I had no idea Kuro had such a fanbase. I can tell you that no, she isn't going to take Sasuke's crap but I'm already cringing when I think about how some people will react to certain events in the future. Hope you guys enjoyed that little scene with Naruto and Temari at the beginning of the chapter. It's just so sweet that they are falling for each other and don't really know it. *wipes tear. Laters o7**


	16. Recovery

Disclaimer: Still don't own Naruto... Damn it.

**The usual thanks to my awesome Beta: So Said the Dragon.**

Why the heck do I always seem to finish these chapters late at night? Once again, its late, I'm tired. I'll fix mistakes later. Tadah, now done!

AN

**Ack, I'm running out of usable Dresden File's quotes. I try and match the quotes to the chapters and somehow I just don't see mentioning a zombie T-Rex to fit in with Naruto. Though it would be pretty bad-ass.**

"_**I remember something Seijin Merlin said to me once," Sharleyan told her, looking levelly into her hazel eyes. "He said destiny is what we make it. That it's our own choices, our own decisions, that lead us through life. There are other factors, sometimes—often—elements we can't control. But we can always control our own decisions. Sometimes they're good, sometimes they're bad, but they're always ours, and no one can take them away from us … unless we let them."**_

**-David Weber, Midst Toil and Tribulation**

* * *

Sakura stared through the ceiling as she lay restrained on the bed. She wasn't seeing the ceiling. Her mind was stuck in a continuous loop. _Leaning in closer to the trembling girl, he sneered as he whispered in her ear. "You were always and will always be worthless, and now, everyone will know it."_ Her body trembled as she fought back a scream of despair, and unbeknownst to her, tears streamed down her face. Her mind began to flash forward from that moment. Running from the council room blinded by tears, she'd found herself in the marketplace. Without stopping to think, she'd bought an immense amount of saké and fled to the park to drown her sorrows.

She really hadn't expected to awaken. The amount of saké she'd downed should have killed her but it seemed that Ino, Temari and Hinata's medical training paid off. For them anyway. Sakura had raged at them for ruining her death before she'd pulled out a kunai and slashed it up her left arm. A bloody frantic struggle ensued when the other girls took the kunai away, but not before she'd partly opened her right arm as well. As the darkness closed in, she'd felt a measure of peace. At least the pain would finally end.

Once again, she hadn't expected to waken, especially not restrained to the bed. She begged and pleaded for her friends to let her go and when they refused, she ranted and raved, cursing them with every vile insult she could think of. Eventually she realized that they weren't even listening to her and she retreated into her own mind.

She was midway through another loop when she felt a warm hand on her shoulder and heard the words she had waited for, even if she didn't really know it.

"Hello Sakura-chan." The words were almost meaningless, distantly acknowledged by part of her mind as she focused on the concern and warmth with which they were spoken. Shifting her gaze from the ceiling to her old teammate, Sakura felt a maelstrom of emotions when she saw Naruto. Rage, guilt, humiliation, despair, she felt all of these and more as she met his concerned gaze. They began to drown her and she panted, struggling to breathe.

Naruto watched the emotions spark in Sakura's eyes and briefly flashed back to the time when he'd felt them himself. He knew all to well how she felt and he was determined that his friend wouldn't have to suffer alone like he had. Seeing her begin to panic, Naruto drew a kunai and cut through the restraints on her arms and pulled her into a hug.

"Shhh, it's ok Sakura. Let it out."

As Naruto wrapped her in his arms, his words sparked a torrent from the pink-haired girl.

"**How could he**?" She howled. "**How could he do this to me**?" Sobbing into his shoulder, she whispered to Naruto. "I did everything he wanted, I did everything they wanted. How could they just throw me away? I gave him everything. Was it not good enough?"

Naruto gently stroked Sakura's back as she cried and whispered her pain. It took everything he had not to go kill Sasuke and Sakura's parents but he forced himself to calm down. _We can settle accounts later_ he thought viciously. He shifted his head so he could see the girl crying on his shoulder. _For now, let's get you well Sakura-chan_. Belatedly, he realized he was still holding the kunai he'd sliced her restraints with and hastily tossed it away.

The sound of the kunai hitting the floor caused Sakura to jerk her head back and a ghost of a smile played across her face when she saw his embarrassed expression. _Naruto, you've changed since you were my teammate but you're still you._

Grimacing, Naruto rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Say Sakura-chan, would you like to get out of this room?"

Not trusting her voice, Sakura nodded. She flinched when Naruto drew another kunai to cut through the restraints on her ankles and when she tried to stand, she would have fallen if he hadn't caught her.

"Naruto," She said weakly. "My legs."

Without stopping to think, Naruto scooped the frail girl into a bridal carry, getting a squeak of embarrassment from Sakura.

"It's okay." Naruto told her with a grin. "Temari-chan told me you've been on that bed for the last two weeks. It'll take a bit to adjust to moving around again."

"Naruto, put me down." Sakura pouted.

"Don't worry, Sakura-chan, I will once we get outside, alright?"

Sakura felt some of her temper flaring but nodded resignedly. As weak as she felt, and as stubborn as Naruto was, she'd have to stab him to stop him and she didn't feel up to it. A voice in her head disagreed, but she had long experience ignoring it. _Besides, even if I did manage to get a kunai and stab him, he probably still wouldn't drop me._

Blissfully unaware of Sakura's inner dialogue, Naruto cautiously carried her downstairs worried about the girl's physical condition. Being more or less chained to a bed for two weeks had not done Sakura any favors and he was deeply, deeply concerned with how fragile she felt. If he was completely honest with himself, he wasn't really sure which worried him more. Her physical or her mental health. His eyes took a hard, determined edge. _It doesn't matter, Temari and I will have to fix both._

When Naruto carried her outside, Sakura squeezed her eyes closed from the near blinding light of the sun. With her eyes closed, she relished the wind as it blew through her messy hair. The scent of flowers and growing things made her realize Naruto had brought her to the garden and she opened her eyes when she felt him carefully lowering her to a bench near the koi pond.

Sitting Sakura on the bench, Naruto backed up to watch Sakura's reaction. So far, she hadn't been reacting like the Sakura-chan he knew and it worried him. He'd picked her up expecting her to hit him, or at the very least tell him off for it, and her lack of a reaction bothered him. He knew she would need to talk if she was ever to recover from her recent trauma, but how the hell was he supposed to approach the girl nervously running her fingers over the fresh scars on her wrists?

A soft rustling in a nearby bush gave him his answer and he allowed himself to smile. No kunoichi he'd ever met had been able to resist his next move. Even Tsunade had fallen prey to it.

Naruto softly whistled so as not to disturb Sakura from her thoughts and a furry head poked up from the rustling bush. Naruto nodded a greeting to fox and passed on an order.

"Go get Reynard, please. I need him."

The fox yipped and ran off. Turning back to Sakura, Naruto crossed his arms across his chest and watched her trailing her fingers in the koi pond with a sad expression on her face. So caught up in watching Sakura, Naruto failed to notice Reynard's arrival until the fox scared the hell out of him by speaking right behind him.

"You needed something Naruto-Sama?" Naruto swore he heard a light undertone of amusement and he turned to glare at his furry minion in annoyance.

"That's not funny you know." He said somewhat crossly.

Reynard dipped his head.

"Of course not, my lord."

Naruto resisted the urge to yank Reynard's whiskers and settled with massaging his temples.

"If you're done mocking me, I need you to bring me one of the kits. Preferably one of the really cute ones."

Reynard eyed Sakura warily.

"Are you sure Naruto-Sama? Your guest seems somewhat disturbed."

Naruto leaned down and petted Reynard's head.

"Don't worry, the kit will be safe, I promise you that. I just need some way to get her to open up and I know you've seen how women react to the little fuzz-balls."

Reynard's body language was distinctly amused as he loped back into the bushes. Oh yes, he knew how the human women reacted to the kits and he thought it was hilarious. He'd even taken extra delight in sending kits after Temari because the woman tried to resist but melted every time. Perhaps the only reaction that amused him more was when the Hokage visited one day. That had been downright hysterical.

It didn't take him long to grab the kit he wanted and return to Naruto. His amusement grew when he saw Naruto's eyes widen slightly in surprise. Yes, this was his ultimate weapon, the kit he'd personally trained to turn any kunoichi to mush.

Naruto tried to hide his shock when he saw the small red vixen following Reynard but he suspected Reynard had seen it anyway.

"Sweet Kami Reynard, is that Scarlet?"

The little vixen bounced over to Naruto and butted her head against his leg almost like a cat. Reynard chuckled at Scarlet's antics.

"Yes, Naruto-Sama, this is indeed Scarlet. She seems pleased that you remember her."

Naruto knelt and picked up the excited kit.

"How could I forget." Naruto said, rolling his eyes as he scratched Scarlet's ears. "I'd thought Temari-chan had gotten over the whole cuteness thing until the day you unleashed this little lady on her."

Both Naruto and Reynard reflexively looked around for Temari. The aftermath of that event had been somewhat painful for both and Temari did **not** like being reminded of it. Still, it wasn't every day you caught a kunoichi like Temari giggling as they rolled around on the deck playing with a small animal.

Shaking off his amusement, Naruto turned towards Sakura with a frown. She was still trailing her fingers in the pond while she stared off in space. The only good thing is that she didn't seem nearly as worked up as she'd been inside. _It was a good idea to get her out of that room_ Naruto thought as he walked towards her.

Sakura was thinking over the recent events but not as bitterly as before. She hated to admit it to herself but crying on Naruto's shoulder had let her vent some of the pain. It still hurt, but she didn't feel like she was drowning anymore. Wrapped up in her thoughts, she didn't notice Naruto until he plopped a small red ball of fur in her lap. Looking up, prepared to tell him off for interrupting her, Sakura froze when she made eye contact with the fox kit. Almost against her will, her hand snaked up to pet the small fox and when it curled up to sleep on her lap, she squealed.

"Naruto, this is the cutest little fox."

Naruto rolled his eyes. Scarlet was scary good at that.

"Sakura-chan, meet Scarlet. Scarlet, Sakura-chan." Naruto said introducing them. "Scarlet here is the one that made Temari-chan..." Naruto paused. "Yeah, well, Scarlet has a way with people."

Sakura frowned, still running her hand over Scarlet's silky fur. "What about Temari-san?'

Naruto blanked his face.

"I don't really want to die, but I can say that even Temari-chan is not immune to 'cute.'"

Sakura couldn't help it, she giggled, and as she pictured Temari glomping Scarlet, she began to laugh. Her laughter quickly turned somewhat hysterical and then into tears. The laughter breaking through the emotional barriers all shinobi erect to protect themselves.

Naruto watched as Sakura broke down with a sense of satisfaction. She was hugging Scarlet closely to herself and Naruto let her tears wind down. When Sakura finally subsided to occasional sniffs, Naruto moved closer and gently took Scarlet from her hands. Scratching her ears, he sent her on her way and sat down next to Sakura.

"Why did he do it?" Sakura asked Naruto in a whisper.

Naruto looked up at the sky as he considered his answer. He wasn't sure what was going on, but he suspected more then just one motive. He wasn't sure that Sakura was in any condition to deal with that. Ultimately, his decision boiled down to the simple fact that she had a right to know.

"I'm not entirely sure, Sakura-chan. I think there were multiple reasons and most of them probably revolve around me."

Sakura stared at him.

"You? What do you mean revolve around you."

"You remember how he wants to kill his brother?" When Sakura nodded, Naruto continued his explanation. "After our fight where I crippled him, Sasuke added me to that list, I know he did. Ever since, he's been looking for ways to get back at me since he can't actually fight me." Naruto took a deep breath and knelt to look Sakura right in the eyes. "Temari and I believe that the only reason he married you was to use it against me."

Sakura sucked in a breath to tell Naruto off before reality hit. It made sense. Sakura was far from stupid and now that her blinders were forcibly removed, she could use that intellect to its full extent.

"He used me." She growled clenching her fist. Looking up, she met Naruto's eyes again. "That son of a bitch _used_ me."

Naruto nodded.

"And when he didn't have a use for you anymore and he saw the chance for more power..." he said softly.

"He fucking took it and abandoned me!" Sakura yelled finishing Naruto's sentence.

Naruto sat next to her on the bench and leaned back with a sigh.

"Yeah, that's pretty much it."

Sakura sat quivering in anger as she fought against her inner personality' cries for Sasuke's blood. The inner battle abruptly ended when she remembered what Temari had told her about her parents.

"What about my parents?"

Naruto frowned.

"I don't really know. Temari said that Ino told her that your parents were the ones that more or less aimed you at Sasuke. According to Ino, when Sasuke kicked you out of the Uchiha Clan, they disowned you from the 'shame.'"

Sakura stared at her feet. Maybe everyone was right. If even her parents thought so, maybe she really was worthless.

Naruto had a very good idea of what was going through Sakura's head and he needed to stop it.

"Sakura-chan, you know the burden I carry don't you?"

Sakura nodded. After the arena fights where Ino ended up in Naruto's head, everyone knew.

"I've been where you are." Naruto said quietly. "When I was younger, there was a time that I despaired, that I thought I deserved the treatment I received." Sakura opened her mouth to say something but Naruto raised a hand to stop her. "Do you want to know what I discovered?"

Sakura ran her thumbs along the scars marking her wrists. It was hard to believe that Naruto could ever have felt like that but remembering the image of the Kyubi, Sakura shivered. Perhaps it wasn't so far-fetched after all.

"If you think it will help, yes, I would like to hear it."

Naruto shifted on the bench to face her and make eye contact.

"I discovered that it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks of you. All that matters is what you think of yourself. It sounds simple, but it's really not." Naruto stood up and began to pace. "If people believe in you, use that strength, if people ridicule you, use that as fuel to prove them wrong." Glancing back at her, Naruto saw flickers of the girl he knew in her eyes. "I've talked it over with Temari-chan. Until you get back on your feet you're welcome to stay here with us."

Sakura stared at him suspiciously.

"Temari-san agreed? She really doesn't like me."

Naruto rubbed the back of his neck.

"Yeah, you're right about that, but she knows that this is important to me. You do remember the one thing Kakashi-sensei actually taught us right?"

Sakura nodded with a small smile.

"Those that break the rules are trash..."

"But those that abandon their comrades are lower than trash." Naruto finished. Extending an arm, Naruto helped Sakura to her feet and let her lean on him to keep her balance. "Don't think that this is done though, Sakura-chan. You're feeling better now, I can tell but I really think you should talk to Ino-chan to avoid going back into the dark."

Sakura stayed silent as she hobbled along beside Naruto to the house. She owed Ino, Temari and Hinata an apology before anything else but Naruto was probably right about the need to talk.

"You're going to make him pay aren't you?"

"Oh, you can count on it Sakura-chan." Naruto replied grimly.

Sakura tightened her grip on his arm.

"I want in."

Naruto gave her a smile showing his elongated incisors.

"Of course Sakura-chan. Wouldn't dream of not including my teammate."

* * *

Entering the house, Sakura discovered why Naruto had dragged her back in. Gathered in the kitchen and living room were most of the kunoichi their age and several from the medical classes. _He must have heard them or had a clone watching or something. _Sakura thought.

Feeling extremely uneasy surrounded by all the kunoichi, Naruto lead Sakura over to where Temari was sitting by the vase of flowers and the box Neji gave him. Helping Sakura into a chair, Naruto moved to his wife and gave her a quick peck on the cheek.

"We need to talk." He whispered while he did so.

Eyes flashing, Temari stood stiffly and followed him from the room. Heading downstairs, Naruto lead her to his study and she crossed her arms across her chest and scowled when he activated the privacy seals.

"The answer is no, Naruto." she said as soon as the room was sealed. "I'm not displeased that you got her up and moving, but I will not accept her as a sister-wife!"

Naruto stared at Temari with his jaw hanging open. _What the hell?_

"Temari-chan? What are you talking about?"

Temari shifted uncomfortably - it seemed she may have jumped to the wrong conclusion.

"Isn't that why you brought me down here?"

Naruto sat behind the desk and thumped his head on the hard wood.

"Temari-chan, I'm pretty sure we've gone over this. Yes, she is one of my precious people. Yes, I did have a major crush on her and yes, I do very much care for her. I do however not want to _marry_ her!"

"Oh," Temari replied quietly, a faint blush on her checks. "Well, what did you need to speak with me about?"

"What do you know of Danzo Shimura?" Naruto asked softly.

Temari uncrossed her arms and glided over to sit on the edge of the desk.

"Just what I've seen in the council meetings. He seems rather militant but there will always be someone like that on a shinobi council."

Naruto chuckled grimly and dug out a worn leather backed book.

"Here." He said tossing it to her. "That is my father's journal. Don't take it from this room, the seals on it will detonate if you try, but you should read it. Especially the part about Danzo and Root. Trust me Temari-chan, he really isn't normal for a shinobi council."

Temari raised and eyebrow at her husband.

"Alright, I can read this but why are you bringing this up now?"

"I had a conversation with the man today. I tried to get him to stop backing Sasuke but I don't think it worked. That man and his agents are dangerous to us, Temari-chan. Ero-Sennin told me once that the most dangerous weapon for a shinobi is information." Naruto pointed at the book in her hands. "That is information."

Temari examined the book in her hands carefully. It was rare for Naruto to be this serious outside of a fight. She was going to have to make time for this journal. She didn't see Naruto reaching for her.

Pulling his startled wife into his lap, Naruto wrapped his arms around Temari from behind and rested his chin on her shoulder.

"So," He whispered. "What's with all the kunoichi?"

Temari sighed and raised her hand to pat his cheek.

"I told you, Ino somehow convinced me to hold 'kunoichi meetings' here while you were gone."

Naruto groaned.

"You mean this is a weekly thing?"

Temari reluctantly stood and pulled Naruto out of the chair.

"Yes, weekly. We've also been down here for a while and need to get back to our guests."

Naruto pouted.

"Do I have to?" He whined.

Temari grinned and smacked the back of his head lightly.

"Yes, at least this once. It would be rude of the host not to put in an appearance."

Naruto thought about pointing out that technically he had made an appearance but decided it just wasn't worth the effort. Even if he won on technical points, Temari was perfectly capable of dragging him upstairs by his ear. Sighing in defeat, he extended his arm and Temari linked hers with a victorious smile. _No doubt she did that reading my mind thing women do_ Naruto thought sourly as he deactivated the privacy seals.

More or less dragged upstairs by Temari, Naruto was forced to greet the assembled kunoichi, most of whom had been Uchiha fan-girls if his memory served him correctly. It was fairly nauseous when they all simpered and flirted with him and his only consolation was that judging from the nails digging into his arm, Temari didn't like it either.

Finally done, Naruto lead Temari back to the kitchen table where the girls he actually knew were sitting around chatting. Well, sobbing on the others shoulders for Sakura and Ino, chatting for Tenten and Hinata. Guiding Temari to her chair, something that got him a glower from his wife, Naruto sank into the chair next to it with a groan.

"That sucked 'ttebayo." He said tiredly. To think he'd once envied Sasuke his fan-girls.

Completely agreeing but wanting to change the subject, Temari picked up the wrapped box and pointed at the flowers.

"So, whats in the box and why the flowers?"

Naruto cursed under his breath, out of the fire and into the frying pan indeed.

"Well, I got the flowers cause I missed you while I was gone."

"Hey." Ino cut in. "That's not what you told me at the shop!" Ignoring Naruto's frantic gestures to shut-up behind Temari's back, she gave him a wicked grin. "I thought you told me they were _I left on a month long mission only leaving a note please don't kill me _flowers."

While Temari assumed a thoughtful face, Naruto hissed at Ino.

"Hate you so much right now, you evil woman."'

Ino just laughed and stuck her tongue out at him.

"With everything that happened, I had forgotten about that." Temari said slowly. Naruto felt ice creep up his spine when she swiveled her head to glare at him. "I'm so happy you could help me remember Naruto."

Naruto was sweating under the joint death glares of the five kunoichi at the table. Making up his mind to flee and perhaps take them on at better odds, he froze when Temari grabbed his wrist.

"No, no Naruto. You're not flashing away tonight." _Damn it, how the hell does she do that?_ "So, if the flowers are a bribe for your life, whats in the box?"

Naruto shrugged.

"I don't know, Neji said it was to you from Koyuki-Hime from the Land of Snow."

Extremely curious now, Temari opened the box and slid a note and an envelope out. Seeing the note had Naruto's name on it, she slid it over to Naruto and opened the envelope.

Naruto recognized the handwriting on the front of the note as Neji's and opened it.

"Consider us even for the explosive clones." He read out-loud, puzzled. "What the hell is that suppose to mea..." He cut off mid-sentence when he felt Temari's killer intent bear down on him. _What the hell? What was in that envelope?_

Temari held some sort of photograph in her hands as her eyes shot daggers at her husband.

"So, you like kissing princesses do you?"

At this point, Naruto was beyond confused. He didn't know why Temari and the other kunoichi were so angry, but it obviously had something to do with that picture.

"I don't know what you're talking about. What is that picture?"

Snorting with disgust, Temari flipped the photo to him. Picking it up, his jaw dropped in shock. In the picture - he was being kissed by Koyuki-Hime. _When the hell was this, I sure don't remember.. wait! _Examining the picture closer, he saw that he was bandaged and he recognized the room. _This is in the hospital, but I don't remember this at all._ Looking up and meeting Temari's fulminating glare, Naruto forced himself to maintain eye contact.

"I recognize the room, but I swear to you Temari-chan, I don't remember this. I was unconscious most of the time I was at that hospital."

Hinata grabbed the picture from his hand and examined it.

"I-its true." She said, barely stuttering. "Naruto-kun only lays like this when he is unconscious." As everyone at the table including Naruto turned to stare at her, she let out an "Eeap" and tried to duck into her coat.

Temari pinched the bridge of her nose feeling a migraine coming on. _I don't think I even want to know why Hinata can tell if Naruto is unconscious just from his posture. Why, why is everything with him so damn complicated?_

Ino picked up the photo Hinata dropped and flipped it over.

"Hey, Fan-Girl, there's a note on the back for you."

Taking the picture from Ino with a frown, Temari flipped it over and read the back, face flushing with anger.

**_Temari Uzumaki-Namikaze. If what I've heard about you from Naruto is true, you are blunt and prefer to deal with things directly. I wish to buy your husband from you, as you can see from the picture, I have staked my claim. Please contact me to discuss terms and payment. Koyuki Kazehana, Daimyo Land of Snow_**_._

Finishing reading the letter out-loud, Temari glared at her husband.

Naruto sighed.

"I had nothing to do with this, but that's not going to matter is it?"

Seeing his answer in the stoney gazes of the kunoichi at the table, Naruto made a break for the garden, the girls right on his heels. He put up a good fight but the girls eventually cornered him near the back edge of the grounds and pounded him into the ground. Satisfied with their work, the girls left back to the house leaving a twitching Naruto in a body-sized crater.

After the kunoichi left, Reynard approached the crater cautiously.

"Naruto-Sama, I do not understand. You could easily have defeated them with the exception of your mate. Why would you let them do this?"

Seeing the coast was clear, Naruto popped up and brushed himself off looking only slightly worse for wear. Sitting on the edge of the crater, he wrapped an arm around Reynard's neck and laughed.

"Well, one, it was kinda fun and it's the first time all five of them worked together for anything. Two, sometimes its better to just take the hit. You heard them when they left. They got all that anger and frustration out of their system and they feel better now."

"Seems a high price to pay." Reynard said dryly, looking at the obviously insane human sitting next to him.

"Nah, they weren't going all out."

"You do realize you're sitting on the edge of a crater they made by slamming you into the ground, right?" Before Naruto could respond, Reynard stiffened in alarm as strange scent carried on the breeze. "Naruto-Sama, we have intruders."

Naruto stood and assumed a loose stance. There was a chance that the intruders weren't enemies, but he wasn't going to count on that. Naruto watched the trees in the deepening gloom of twilight and noticed flickers of motion just before three shinobi and a kunoichi dropped to the ground facing him.

One of the shinobi stepped forward and Naruto tensed. He recognized that uniform, those purple bow things were very distinctive.

"Naruto Namikaze," The androgynous shinobi said with underlying scorn. "Our master wishes to speak with you."

Naruto scoffed and slid his hand to the seal on the arm of his jacket.

"No, I really don't want to talk to Hebi-Teme but that reminds me, Kabuto get all healed up from when I kicked his ass?"

"Who the fuck do you think you are to talk about Orochimaru-Sama that way shithead!?" The kunoichi exploded. "It's not like we're fucking giving you a choice, Konoha trash." As if it were a signal, the largest of the shinobi charged at Naruto in a berserk manner.

Calmly judging the distance, Naruto allowed the man to close then swept to the side summoning his kodachi from the storage seal on his arm as he moved. With a flash of steel only barely seen by the man's companions, his head slid from his body as he collapsed. Flicking his blade to clear the blood, Naruto dropped into his mother's kenjutsu stance, Reynard standing to his flank growling threateningly.

"I think you have it wrong. Who says you get a choice?"

* * *

"_**That's undoubtedly true, Your Majesty," Coris said. "But sometimes all the decisions in the world can't change what happens to us."**_

"_**No, they can't, My Lord." Sharleyan's eyes rose to his. "But they can change why we do what we do, and in the end, on the most basic level, isn't that really all that matters?"**_

**-David Weber, Midst Toil and Tribulation**

* * *

"_**I've had a tense couple of days. And I've got to tell you, burning someone's face off sounds like a great way to relax."**_

― _**Jim Butcher, Small Favor **_

**AN**

**Woot, double end-cap quotes! This chapter was kinda hard, I had to rewrite the scenes with Sakura multiple times and I still didn't quite capture the feeling I wanted to show. Still, I had some advice from several reviewers, you know who you are, thanks for the help. On that note, I had a request for bingo book entries and I'm not adverse to doing them but does anyone have a template for them? I will point out before I get chewed out for it that picture and note were not actually from Koyuki. Gee, I wonder who possible could have done that. :D o7**


	17. Forest Brawl

Disclaimer: I make no claim to ownership of Naruto... yet. Muhahaha. Wait, was that out-loud?

AN

Well holy crap, Council's Folly just crossed over the 100k views mark. Thank you loyal readers for your patience with me as I work out the issues with my writing. I am truly humbled that so many of you enjoy this story. o7

Check it out, Dragon is almost totally caught up!

* * *

"_**Oh," the girl said, shaking her head. "Don't be so simple. People adore monsters. They fill their songs and stories with them. They define themselves in relation to them. You know what a monster is, young shade? Power. Power and choice. Monsters make choices. Monsters shape the world. Monsters force us to become stronger, smarter, better. They sift the weak from the strong and provide a forge for the steeling of souls. Even as we curse monsters, we admire them. Seek to become them, in some ways." Her eyes became distant. "There are far, far worse things to be than a monster."**_

― _**Jim Butcher, Ghost Story **_

* * *

Despite his confident words, Naruto was apprehensive as he faced down the three remaining trespassers. The odds were still against him and their body language told him he wasn't going to get another free shot like the corpse at his feet had given him. When the black marks spread across their bodies, he mentally cursed. He truly hated that seal and his experience with Sasuke told him that they were now much stronger than before.

"You fucking piece of trash, you're gonna pay for that." The kunoichi spat as she jumped back into the trees, raising a flute to her lips.

"Yeah, lets see how you like us when we've powered up." The one with multiple arms followed after her.

"Orochimaru-Sama said we have to bring you back alive, trash." The last one said as he dropped into a taijutsu stance. "He never said we had to bring you back in one piece. I'm going to enjoy playing with you."

Naruto shifted nervously and remembered what Tsunade told him after the fight with Han. Sliding closer to Reynard, Naruto spoke to the fox without taking his eyes from the Sound Shinobi.

"Reynard," He said quietly so they wouldn't overhear. "Fall back to the house and have the girls send an alert. Those seals they're using are really bad news. We need help."

When Reynard turned and darted into the bushes, Naruto rushed forward, flipping his kodachi around to hold it against the length of his arm one-handed. Dropping low, he whipped the blade at the gray-haired shinobi's knees, forcing his opponent to jump. Gaining momentum by continuing the spin, he dropped his other hand to the kodachi's handle and slashed up intending to bisect his mid-air adversary. The strike was deflected by a kunai wielding arm that grew from his leg, throwing Naruto off-balance.

Refusing to lose his grip on his kodachi, Naruto rolled forward as the man landed, then was forced to quickly flip back to avoid a golden arrow that almost took his head off. He'd barely regained his balance from the flip when the gray-haired man came flying in with a roundhouse kick. Slapping the foot down with his blade, Naruto tried to counter but was hit by two other legs, throwing him back against a tree.

Ducking under a punch, this time with three arms, Naruto rolled forward past the man before he planted his foot and twisted his body to drive his kodachi through the gray-haired man's skull. This attack was parried by a large, green-covered figure that smashed the attack aside with a giant club. Two more crashed to the ground near him, boxing him in. Cursing, Naruto quickly drew and threw a hiraishin kunai in the direction of the house. Desperately backpedaling and blocking with his kodachi, Naruto barely avoided being skewered by the spikes the second of the large figures used as a weapon.

Feeling the hiraishin kunai stop moving, Naruto took a brief moment to focus, then flashed away from his opponents. Reappearing about forty yards from the fight, Naruto yanked the kunai free from the tree then disappeared into the nearby treetops. Leaning against the trunk, Naruto panted, trying to catch his breath. In the distance, he heard the kunoichi taunting her teammate.

"Bah, you fucking suck, Sakon. That brat almost got you twice!"

"Kiss my ass, Tayuya." Sakon – by the sound of it, the grey-haired one - retorted. "Kidomaru, he didn't go far,! Find him!"

_This really sucks,_ Naruto thought mentally running through his inventory. Since the fight with Han, he always carried some gear in the seals of his clothes, but he wasn't prepared for something like this. _Especially when they work together like that and outnumber me. _Freezing at that thought, Naruto almost smacked himself. _I'm so stupid sometimes, since when am I ever outnumbered?_

A soft rustling in the leaves near him caused Naruto to duck just as a spider the size of Gaara's gourd flew over his head and landed against the tree-trunk behind him. Slashing his kodachi through the spider, Naruto noticed a lot of movement in the trees nearby. Creating a handful of clones to preserve his chakra, Naruto began to hunt the spiders through the treetops. _I hope Reynard brings me some backup soon._

* * *

Temari, Sakura, Ino, Hinata and Tenten were sitting at the kitchen table playing ninja poker, more accurately given it was ninja poker _cheating,_ when Reynard crashed into the room.

"Apologies Temari-Sama." The tired fox panted. "Naruto-Sama is engaged in battle and sent me to acquire reinforcements."

Temari narrowed her eyes as she stood and grabbed her fan from its place on the wall behind her.

"Who and how many?"

"I do not know, Temari-Sama." The fox admitted. "Naruto-Sama seemed to know them and he killed the first one to attack. He said that we would need help because the seals they used were _bad news_."

Temari jerked the tablecloth from the table revealing a large seal on the wood.

"Sound-nin." She snarled. "Probably those Sound Four assholes if they all have curse seals." Pushing chakra into the seal, a large amount of weaponry appeared on the table. "Sakura, you're in no condition to fight, so go warn the Hokage."

When Sakura nodded shakily and dashed out the door, Temari turned her gaze on the remaining kunoichi.

"Alright girls, load up. We have to go save my baka husband." Waiting for the girls to gear up, Temari walked over to Reynard and petted his head. Leaning down, she whispered to the fox. "How long has he been fighting?"

Reynard looked up to meet her gaze.

"Not long, Temari-Sama. I ran here as fast as I could."

Temari ruffled his fur gently.

"You're a good friend." Looking over to see the girls done, she straightened back up. "Reynard, take us to him."

Reynard dipped his head and led the four kunoichi out of the house and to the woods at a run.

* * *

Naruto peeked his head around the trunk of the tree he was sheltering behind, then jerked back, kunai barely missing his face. As he jumped up and launched off the tree to another position, two clones moved forward and incinerated everything in the direction the kunai was thrown from with combined **Goukakyuu** and **Daitoppa **jutsu.

"Ha, you missed shithead!" The kunoichi named Tayuya yelled.

Growling in irritation, Naruto began placing explosive tags as he looped back towards where he believed the Sound-nin were still tracking him. A flash from the corner of his eye caused him to kick off the tree hastily and he was forced to **kawarimi **with a nearby clone to avoid being impaled by another of the spider guy's arrows.

Creating a few more clones, he retreated behind another tree, while his new clones spread though the trees nearby. Focusing on the explosive tags, Naruto waited until a nearby clone was dispelled then detonated the tags. He formed a vicious smile when he heard Sakon yelling in pain. Creating a clone, Naruto dispelled it to pass silent orders to the rest of his clones to try to eliminate the gray-haired teme.

A scuffing sound from nearby got his attention and crouching he silently stalked towards the noise. It was with some relief that he found Reynard crouched low to the ground and ready to spring.

"Reynard."

"Naruto-Sama."

"So, back-up?" Naruto asked casually.

Reynard turned and began to slink away.

"Yes, this way Naruto-Sama. Temari-Sama sent the disturbed girl to get help and brought Ino-Sama, the girl that smells of lavender and the girl that smells of sharp metal."

Carefully following behind Reynard, Naruto mentally translated that into Sakura, Ino, Hinata and Tenten. Body moving on auto-pilot as he followed Reynard, Naruto began comparing what he knew of his opponents and the strengths and weaknesses of his back-up. Temari was much like him, far stronger than her rank would make her appear but she specialized at long range. Ino was a pretty standard genin kunoichi without her clan jutsu and she didn't have the right support for the ones she knew. Tenten preferred long-range but as a member of team Gai, it was likely she had a repertoire of close-range techniques and knowledge at her disposal. Naruto smirked as he patted a seal on the leg of his pants. He wasn't looking forward to the property damage, but he was positive that the Sound-nin would hate him for giving Tenten his last book of explosive tags.

He frowned when he thought of the last member. Hinata was pretty tough when she had to be, but she was a close range fighter and he was worried about her lack of confidence. Shrugging it off, he decided that he would have to just believe in the girl. He just hoped she didn't have one of those fainting fits. Everyone said she was fine and not sick, but Naruto was skeptical. The girl fainted all the time, how could she possibly be just fine?

Reynard lead Naruto into a small clearing and they found the girls waiting. Temari stepped forward and examined her husband. His clothing was a shredded wreck, and she could see traces of blood in some of the slashes. _Reckless baka_ she mentally sighed. It disturbed her greatly that part of Naruto's fighting style was a willingness to take a hit if it gave him an opening to attack.

"So, who and why are you fighting Naruto?" She asked with a frown.

Naruto shrugged.

"I don't know." He admitted. "There were four of them and they answer to Orochimaru."

Temari's frown twisted with rage.

"Three shinobi and a kunoichi?" She asked. When Naruto nodded, Temari let of a stream of curses that rattled her friends. "I was right, it's the Sound Four. They're Orochimaru's personal bodyguards. They would have been there when Orochimaru killed my father."

The other leaf kunoichi looked at her with sympathy but Naruto cocked his head quizzically.

"Temari-chan, I thought you didn't like your father much?"

Temari dug her nails into her palm to keep from lashing out. Yes, she'd told Naruto that she hadn't liked her father much, and it wasn't his fault that he didn't understand why his death made her angry.

"No, I didn't but he was still my father." Temari paused and tried to think of a way to explain it. "Even if I didn't like him, he was still precious to me because he was family."

Naruto nodded.

"Okay, I understand. So, how do we deal with our guests?" A string of explosions rang out from the trees causing Naruto to frown. "They're headed this way, and my explosive clones didn't get that Sakon guy."

Gazing around the clearing, Naruto felt a plan form.

"Alright, Temari-chan, you and Reynard should deal with the spider guy. He seems to rely on webs and arrows so your wind attacks should deal with him, especially with Reynard adding fire to your attack. Ino, Hinata, Tenten, take the kunoichi. I think she is the one controlling these three ogre things, but her attacks use a flute." Tossing Tenten a book of explosive tags, much to the bun-haired girls delight, Naruto continued with his plan. "I figure that since the three of you cover all ranges you should be able to take her, just watch out for those ogre things."

"Ano, Naruto-kun." Hinata said quietly. "Will you be okay by yourself?"

Naruto flashed the girls a foxy grin.

"I'll be fine Hinata-chan. I've almost had this guy but his teammates kept getting in the way." Naruto jerked his head up as a nearby clone dispelled. "They're close. Spread out and look for your targets."

The Konoha shinobi fanned out through the clearing and waited for the Sound-nin. Naruto's battle-plan was pretty good for the limited amount of time he had to set it up, but there were factors he hadn't counted on. One such thing was his wife's temper.

When the Sound-nin reached the clearing, Tayuya laughed.

"Sakon, Kidomaru look, the shithead brought some whores!" Seeing Temari's slightly protruding stomach, she pointed it out. "Oh, check it out, what kind of kunoichi lets themselves get fat?"

Naruto froze when he felt an immense wave of killing intent sweep across the clearing. Looking over at his wife, he could have sworn her eyes were burning green pools of fire. _Kami, note to self, __**never**__ comment on Temari's pregnancy weight._

Disregarding her assigned target, Temari swept her fan completely open while biting her thumb. Swiping the bloody digit across the top of the fan, she channeled an immense amount of wind and swung as hard as she could.

"_**Kuchiyose: Kirikiri Mai!"**__**S**_he yelled, summoning Kamatari to ride the wind and slash through everything in his way.

Everyone on the battlefield stopped to watch the carnage as Temari clear-cut everything near Tayuya, throwing the Sound kunoichi into the air. As the girl fell, Temari sent another wave of wind to juggle Tayuya in midair. Having bought a precious second of time, Temari once again swept her fan forward.

"**Kamaitachi no Jutsu.**" She called, surrounding Tayuya with a visible funnel of wind. "Reynard," Temari barked. "Give me fire!"

Reynard braced himself and thrust his muzzle forward.

"**Kitsune-Bi!" **A thick stream of blueish fire shot from his mouth, the recoil pushing him back slightly. The fox-fire mixed with Temari's wind funnel and even Naruto on the other side of the clearing flinched away from the resulting heat. Mercifully, Tayuya's screams were short-lived as the inferno quickly consumed her body.

Releasing her jutsu, Temari watched in satisfaction as Tayuya's charred skeleton dropped to the ground and shattered. Turning towards the remaining two Sound-nin, she shifted her opened fan behind her and placed her free hand on her hip.

"Either of you have something to say about my weight?" She snarled, looking smugly satisfied when the terrified shinobi shook their heads no.

Seeing an opening, Naruto dashed forward at Sakon, drawing his kodachi from its storage seal. Aiming a slash at Sakon's undefended neck, Naruto cursed when the gray-haired shinobi once again grew an arm from his back that parried his blade with a kunai.

The impact of the blade shook Sakon from his momentary trance and he swiftly countered, spinning around with a multi-legged kick. Barely avoiding the attack, Naruto jumped back and began to circle, looking for an opening.

"Kidomaru!" Sakon called. "Release your second state!"

The unclean aura around Sakon intensified and Naruto watched in horror as the Sound-nin transformed in front of him. The Sound-nin's pale skin darkened to a sickly brown as he grew fangs and horns. Yells from his friends told him that something similar was happening to the other one, but he refused to take his focus off his opponent. He needed to finish this one before he could go help the girls.

Resealing his kodachi, Naruto formed the seal for his favorite Jutsu.

"**Kage Bunshin no Jutsu.**" He called, forming a small platoon of clones. While capable of creating clones without using hand seal, using the signs allowed him more control over the jutsu.

Standing back, Naruto watched his clones surround the transformed nin while he watched for weaknesses he could exploit. He gave a small grunt of surprise when another body almost identical to the first pulled itself from Sakon's back. _Clone? No, that's not a clone_, he thought as the two began dispelling his clones with ease. _Wait, if they're separated, I should be able to hit him._

Moving in with the next wave of clones, Naruto waited for an opportunity. The two Sound-nin were hitting every clone that came close but they were dispelling the clones and looking for the next target. They wouldn't be expecting a 'dispelled' clone to continue attacking.

Seeing an opportunity, Naruto dashed at the back of one with a rasengan spinning up in his hand. He felt a brief moment of contact before the figure in font of him dissolved into his arm. An intense flare of pain brought Naruto to his knees and he coughed and spit out blood. A horned head poked out of his shoulder and laughed at him.

"You pathetic Leaf trash." It hissed as the other figure looked on with a sneer. "You're dead now, boy, and your little whores are next. I will destroy your body from the inside out!"

Naruto began to laugh painfully and both figures narrowed their eyes.

"What's so funny trash?" The Nin standing in front of him snarled.

Forcing himself to his feet, Naruto smirked.

"Hebi-Teme didn't tell you much about me, did he?" Raising his hands in front of him to for a Ram seal, Naruto dug deep for the Kyubi's chakra. "Who in their right mind would try to enter the body of a jinchuriki?"

Channeling enough of Kyubi's chakra to use his initial jinchuriki state, Naruto smiled with grim satisfaction as the head on his shoulder began to scream in pain.

Naruto was knocked off his feet when a mass launched itself from his shoulder and began to liquefy upon hitting the ground.

"Ukon! No! What did you do to him?" Sakon screamed at Naruto as he watched his brother's body melt.

Struggling upright again, Naruto's answer was cut off by an inhuman scream from the other fight. Glancing over, Naruto saw a berserk Ino surrounded by a chakra shroud pulling her fist from the remains of Kidomaru's chest. He cursed when he noticed the line thread of chakra connecting him with Ino and hastily stopped drawing Kyubi's power when Ino turned on the other kunoichi.

The connection cut, Ino dropped like a rock and Naruto turned back to his opponent just in time to catch a punch in the face that knocked him back against a nearby tree. Before he could react, Sakon slammed into him and began rapidly striking him with wild punches and kicks screaming about his brother.

Unwilling to draw on the Kyubi's power due to Ino's earlier reaction, Naruto had no choice but to weather the attacks until Sakon made the mistake of drawing his arm back too far for one of his punches. Reacting as the fist hurtled towards him, Naruto slid to the side, grabbing Sakon's wrist with his left hand and twisting it to throw Sakon off balance. Forming a rasengan in his other hand, Naruto drove the humming ball of chakra clean through the Sound-nin's head resulting in a spray of blood as Sakon's skull exploded. Dropping his hold, Naruto let the body fall limply and staggered over to where the girls were crowded around two forms on the ground.

Getting closer, Naruto noticed that Hinata was using medical jutsu on Ino's prone form and Temari was trying to heal a twitching Reynard. _Did Kyubi's chakra do this to both of them_, he wondered seeing similar burns on both of his friends. He was unable to continue his line of thought when the stress on his body caught up and he dropped to the ground. His struggle against unconsciousness ended with the sight of a worried Temari extending glowing green hands towards him.

In the forest, a golden pair of eyes watched as Tsunade and an ANBU squad arrived and took charge of the situation.

"Kukukukuku, most interesting Naruto-kun." The form said, melding into the ground. "It was foolish of me to try to kill you, those genes of yours are something to be prized."

* * *

A steady dripping woke Naruto and he cursed when he realized he was in his mindscape. Pulling himself to his feet, he staggered towards the Fox's cage wondering why the Kyubi had dragged him there.

Approaching the bars, Naruto saw the Kyubi grinning at him from within its cage.

"**Such a weak mortal you are, ningen. All this power and you still almost lost."**

"Bah," Naruto retorted. "Get stuffed, fluffy. Those curse seals of Orochimaru's are really bad news."

"**Indeed." **Kyubi replied. "**They twist and multiply the hatred of those who carry them until it is the only thing the carrier feels. Matters not if it is sealed, all would fall prey to it. This includes the Uchiha boy and the one he hates most now is you. You should kill him before he becomes more of a threat to you."**

Naruto leaned against the bars, letting them bear some of his weight.

"I'm not going to kill Sasuke just cause you say so Fox." He said tiredly. "I'm willing to believe you about the seals, though. When they used that advanced form, I could feel that hatred you mentioned but Sasuke is still a citizen of Konoha."

Kyubi chuckled darkly.

"**You'll regret your 'mercy', boy."**

Naruto sighed.

"Probably." He admitted. "Doesn't mean I'm going to listen to you though. Reminds me, what the hell did you do to Ino-chan?"

Kyubi snorted.

"**I? I did nothing ningen. You however, you drew on my power and allowed me to operate outside your body."**

Naruto slammed a fist into the bars.

"What the hell did you do, Fox?"

Kyubi lifted his muzzle from where it rested on his paws with a snarl.

"**Do not presume to speak to me like that, Mortal. I tire of you, leave me.**"

Cursing the Fox, Naruto released himself from his mindscape. _No point in trying to talk to the Teme when he's like that._

* * *

Waking back to his body, Naruto noticed he was alone in his hospital room. Reaching up, he winced as he tore out the IV and then slid soundlessly from the bed. Opening the bathroom door, Naruto was grateful to find some of his clothes and quickly got dressed. Sitting to pull his pants up hurt so he figured he hadn't been down to long. Anything more then a day and the bruises would have already healed.

Ghosting through the quiet corridors, he caught sight of Inoichi sleeping on a bench outside a room so he poked his head in curiously. His somewhat cheerful mood from sneaking around the hospital came crashing down when he saw Ino swathed in bandages laying on the room's bed. Crossing to the sleeping girl, Naruto lay a quick kiss on her forehead because her hands were bandaged.

"I'm sorry Ino-chan." He whispered as he turned and left the room.

Making his way towards the exit, Naruto stopped when he heard raised voices coming from Tsunade's hospital office.

"No, you are not checking him out of the hospital tonight." Tsunade yelled at a visibly angry Temari.

"Tsunade-sama." Temari replied in a strained polite voice. "My _husband_ was not injured in the fight, just exhausted." She carefully stressed the word husband. "When he wakes, he should come home with me and rest there. He does not like hospitals, you know that."

Knocking on the door, Naruto called attention to his presence.

"I appreciate you looking out for me Baa-Chan, but I'm fine. What happened to Ino-Chan and Reynard?"

Both women looked at him and noted that he was already dressed. Tsunade sighed and opened her desk drawer, pulling out a small bundle of bills. Handing it over to a gleeful Temari, Tsunade rolled her eyes at Naruto.

"Gaki, you just cost me money. I wasn't expecting you to try to escape for at least another hour." Sitting behind her desk, Tsunade waved at Naruto to take a seat next to Temari. "Ino is alright. She was sleeping last time I saw her. Reynard I handed over to Hana Inuzuka for treatment after we got you settled in here. I gave her orders to report if anything happened so in this case, no news is good news. As for what happened to them, I'm not sure. From what the girls told me, when you used Kyubi's power against your opponent, some sort of chakra thread linked you with Ino and Reynard and both went berserk." Tsunade eyed Naruto when he flinched. "Got something to add?"

Naruto nodded unhappily.

"Fox-teme pulled me into my mind after the fight. He told me that I somehow allowed him to "operate outside my body." I'm not sure if I believe that. I saw Ino-chan before I stopped using the Fox's power and she was surrounded by chakra but it wasn't red."

"Hmm,. Tsunade said considering the information. "That actually makes sense given Ino's injuries. Her chakra coils were strained much like what sometimes happens with new mednin that haven't gotten use to transferring power yet. Intriguing, but for now, don't draw on Kyubi's power if Ino or Reynard are anywhere near you."

"Better add Inoichi to that list as well Baa-Chan." Naruto replied quietly. "He's been in my head near the Fox, even if not as close as Reynard and Ino were."

"Good point." Tsunade agreed. "So, you ready to leave with Temari then?"

"No." Naruto said crossly folding his arms across his chest. Turning to Temari he gave his wife a mild glare. "I'm somewhat upset with Temari-chan at the moment so I'm going to go cool down some before I go home."

Temari felt shocked and hurt.

"Me? Why are you upset with me?"

Naruto drummed his fingers on his arm in irritation.

"You are always reminding me about watching my temper, Temari-chan." He replied flatly. "You've told me that it is probably my single greatest weakness."

Temari nodded uncertainly. She did tend to remind him of that, but why was he angry?

"We had a battle plan, Temari-chan, and when that kunoichi insulted you, a very basic insult, you flipped out and completely discarded the plan because you were angry."

"But.. it worked out right?" Temari asked hesitantly.

"This time, sure, but if I have to watch my temper, so do you!" Naruto said pointing a finger at her. Standing, Naruto walked towards the door. "I'm going to go check on Reynard and then I'll head home. I'll see you there, Temari-chan." he called over his shoulder as he stalked out.

Temari looked at Tsunade.

"I guess he really is angry." She said quietly.

Tsunade gave her a sympathetic gaze.

"I wouldn't worry about it too much. Naruto isn't one to really hold a grudge. I think most of that was fueled by him being upset over Ino and Reynard being hurt. Just give him some time to cool down, apologize, and this will be behind you."

Temari gazed at the hands in her lap sadly.

"I hope so Tsunade-sama. It seems wrong for him to be angry with me."

Tsuande gave Temari a knowing smirk.

"I'm sure. Now, go home."

Temari stood and bowed, then exited the room without saying anything causing Tsunade to massage her temple wearily. _Ahh, the pitfalls of young love. Damn, I forgot to tell Naruto he was training with Kakashi this week. The look on his face would have been priceless._

* * *

Naruto gently rubbed Reynard's ears and looked over at the Inuzuka vet hovering nearby.

"So he'll be okay, right?"

Hana nodded while skimming through her patient's notes.

"Yeah, he had some nasty burns and I was surprised to find such a developed chakra system but he should be fine with some rest."

Naruto carefully gave Reynard a hug, trying to avoid aggravating the fox's injuries.

"Hear that, you'll be fine."

Reynard lifted his head slightly to glare.

"Yes, I told you that Naruto-Sama, now please let me rest."

Naruto chuckled as he stood up and ruffled the fox's fur.

"Yeah, yeah. I got it, I'll leave you alone."

"Thank you. You can be very trying at times, Naruto-Sama."

Naruto raised an eyebrow at the comment.

"Really?"

"Forgive me, Naruto-Sama, the painkillers they gave me are quite.. nice."

Naruto turned an amused glance on Hana.

"You got my minion stoned?" Hana blushed slightly in embarrassment.

Leaving the room, Naruto couldn't help but grin at Reynard's parting shot.

"I've told you before, Naruto-Sama, I am not a minion, I am a vassal. There is a difference."

Naruto chuckled.

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that." He laughed harder at the annoyed snarl from the room. For all the things Reynard pulled on him, some measure of payback was expected.

He was surprised when just wandering around he found himself near his home. Groaning, he decided to go and get this over with. He shouldn't have snapped on Temari, but at the time he was just frustrated. Steeling himself, he entered the house and striped off his sandals.

"I'm back." He called.

He paused, puzzled, when Temari came gliding down the stairs dressed in a formal kimono.

"Welcome home, husband." She greeted him with a deep bow. Straightening, she crossed the room and linked arms with Naruto. "If it is to my husband's pleasure, I have prepared a light supper."

Naruto was internally freaking out. What sort of twisted punishment game was this?

"Ne, Temari-chan, what the hell are you doing?"

He saw some fire in her eyes when he went off her prepared script.

"What does it look like, baka? I'm apologizing for my actions."

"But.. er.. I .. wait what?" Naruto stammered out.

Teamri laughed at the clueless expression on his face. Tsunade was right, only she didn't have to apologize for Naruto to have forgiven her. He really was such a sweet man, not a grudge holder. In a way, his calling her out on her mistakes earlier excited her. She didn't want a doormat for a husband and now she knew that he would oppose her if he felt it was important. Jerking the startled boy closer, Temari laid a scorching kiss on him.

"So, what should we have first?" She said with a smirk. "Dinner or dessert?"

Naruto glanced at the table, then back at his wife. Slowly a wide grin grew on his face.

"I think I'm in the mood for something sweet."

* * *

**"Anger is just anger. It isn't good. It isn't bad. It just is. What you do with it is what matters. It's like anything else. You can use it to build or to destroy. You just have to make the choice."**

Constructive anger," the demon said, her voice dripping sarcasm.

Also known as passion," I said quietly. "Passion has overthrown tyrants and freed prisoners and slaves. Passion has brought justice where there was savagery. Passion has created freedom where there was nothing but fear. Passion has helped souls rise from the ashes of their horrible lives and build something better, stronger, more beautiful."  
― Jim Butcher, White Night

**AN**

**I spent a great deal of the time I was writing this debating on if I should kill off Reynard or not. As you can see, in the end I decided not to. Mainly because I like writing Reynard sneaking up on Naruto and scaring the hell out of him. This chapter was hard to do for a couple reasons. First, I have issues writing fights so that they don't sound like after action reports. You can blame something like 10 years of writing reports for that. Two, the words just did not want to flow for most of this chapter. Part of that was the whole RL issue thing but something about this chapter just did not want to write itself. Normally I can just type along to the flow of words in my head after I glance at my outline but this time.. not so much.**

**Some of you may be wondering about that ending. Temari strikes me as the type that would want her husband to fight back. I've known women like that, interesting relationships those were. o7**


	18. Crossing Swords

Disclaimer: *sigh. I wish I had the rights to Naruto.

**Now Cleansed by Dragon's flame. For those of you paying attention, my Awesome Beta is So Said the Dragon.**

AN

**Heh, I found the perfect quote for a chapter with Kakashi in it. I'm writing this suffering from a cold my walking plague factories (aka my daughters) infected me with so my brain resembles mush at the moment. I'm a bit disturbed that when I threatened to eat them for it, the two of them just giggled and decided to research possible recipes. Sometimes those two disturb me.**

**I finely got around to watching Road to Ninja. That little Kyubi fight was interesting, very interesting.**

* * *

"_**Punctuality is for people with nothing better to do"**_

― _**Jim Butcher, Small Favor **_

* * *

A tapping at the bedroom window woke Naruto from his very pleasant dreams. He tried to shift his pillow to cover his head. This didn't work out very well for the simple reason that he was currently using Temari's chest as his pillow and she did not appreciate his actions.

"Naruto," She murmured sleepily. "My breasts are not toys. Stop messing with them and go answer the window or there will be consequences."

Naruto paled and withdrew his hand hastily. Open-ended threats from Temari were never, ever good. He much preferred something simple like 'stop or I'll beat you into the ground with my fan.' At least that was over quickly. Those open-ended threats _lingered_ and he would spend all day just waiting for the hammer to drop.

Scooting over to the edge of the bed, he stood and stretched with a yawn. Padding over to the window, he threw it open and gave his visitor an unamused glare.

"Kakashi-sensei? Why are you here?"

"Maa, maa, no need to get so snippy Naruto." Kakashi said, not bothering to look up from his book. "You missed our meeting for training so I thought I'd come get you."

Naruto gave Kakashi a blank stare.

"What training?" He paused for a second and then could barely contain his glee. "You mean you're actually gonna train me? Is it gonna be something cool?"

Naruto stopped and considered his old teacher.

"Oh, it's gonna be something lame like tree climbing isn't it?"

Kakashi sweat-dropped behind his book. _Maa, so untrusting. _Giving Naruto one of his infamous "eye-smiles," he cheerfully addressed his old student.

"I thought that you would be happy to learn more about Kushina-sama's kenjutsu style when Jiraiya-sama asked me to teach you. I suppose I could always go tell Hokage-sama that you aren't interested." Turning to leave, he stopped when a hand latched onto his arm.

Turning back, he was struck by the mix of suspicion and longing he saw in Naruto's eyes. _Ahh, he doesn't trust me about training but I mentioned Kushina-sama. _

"Alright, met me at our old training ground in half an hour."

"Are you going to actually be there on time, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked, his voice heavy with suspicion. "As much as I need help with Kaa-chan's kenjutsu, I do have other things I need to do today."

Kakashi gave Naruto another eye-smile and vanished in a swirl of leaves, leaving a cursing Naruto standing in the window. His rant was cut off when a pillow slammed into his head.

"Too loud." Temari called as she snuggled back into the blankets. "Some of us are trying to sleep."

Rubbing the back of his neck with a sheepish grin, Naruto wandered over to stand by Temari's side of the bed. Reaching down, he stroked her hair gently and was amused when she pushed back against his hand. _Heh, just like a big kitty, not that I'm going to actually say that_ he mused with a grin. Leaning over, he wrapped his arms around her and rested his cheek against her head.

"I have to go train." He whispered. "You have anything to keep you busy today?"

Temari nodded drowsily.

"Mmm." She confirmed. "Afternoon class with Tsunade-sama, then a check-up at the hospital."

"I should be done by then. You want me to come along for the check-up?"

Temari jerked her head, slamming it into Naruto's cheek on accident.

"Oh Kami no." She said hurriedly. " I accept no responsibility for taking you to the hospital or any damage that may result from your presence there."

Naruto held his cheek and pouted.

"You make it sound like I'm a walking disaster or something."

Temari stared at her husband incredulously.

"You do remember what happened the last time you came to visit don't you?"

Naruto's pout deepened.

"So was not my fault."

Temari rolled her eyes and lay her head back on her pillow.

"So you keep saying, but I was there Naruto. I don't know how you destroyed an entire lab, pretty sure I don't _want_ to know actually, but I do know that it was you."

Naruto crossed his arms and scowled.

"It was just a small fire jutsu, how was-."

He was cut off when Temari stuck her fingers in her ears.

"I told you, I don't want to know. That way when Tsunade asks me next time how my baka husband destroyed part of her hospital, I can tell her I have no idea, and I won't be lying."

Naruto snorted.

"Muu, so mean." Leaning down again, he planted a kiss on the top of her head. "I'll be back before you then. Maybe I can do something about all our recent unwelcome guests."

Temari waved a hand lazily.

"Mmm, whatever. Go away. 'm sleepy."

Chuckling to himself, Naruto got dressed for the day and wandered downstairs to get something to eat. Chewing on a piece of toast, he noticed the picture that caused all the problems still sitting on the table and he flipped it over to read it in morbid curiosity.

Reading the offer to buy Temari off, he narrowed his eyes in thought. The wording did not seem like something Koyuki-Hime would say. Seeing the note from Neji on the floor, he picked it up and compared the writing. _And we have a winner, _he thought sarcastically.

"White-eyed teme pranked me. He actually pranked me." He muttered in disbelief. "Oh, you will pay Neji." Naruto began to cackle madly. "Oh yes, you will pay."

* * *

Arriving at his old training ground, Naruto leaned against the bridge and closed his eyes. Soaking in the atmosphere, he began to reminisce. Some of the best and worst times of his life happened here and he supposed it was fitting that Kakashi chose this place for their training. Hearing a small pop, he opened his eyes to see Kakashi standing next to him.

"Place brings back memories, doesn't it, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto said quietly.

"Mmm." Kakashi hummed noncommittally.

Naruto eyed the man quizzically.

"You know, I never did ask before. Why did you focus so much on Sasuke when we were Team Seven?"

Kakashi grabbed the bridge railing hard enough for the wood to groan in protest as he stared into the swirling waters of the river.

"I suppose I saw a lot of myself in him." He finally said in a defeated tone. "I saw the dark path he was headed on and I thought he needed more from me to stop." Kakashi lifted his face and met Naruto's gaze. "I also had orders to keep an eye on him. He was considered a flight risk."

Naruto felt his temper flare.

"That's it?" He said with a low tone. "That's all it was? You don't teach us anything but Tree Walking - and that under threat from an A-class nuke-nin. You _abandon_ Sakura-chan and me after the second part of the chunin exams to train Sasuke, and that's all you have to say about it?"

Kakashi turned himself to fully face the irate boy.

"The Sandaime had a great deal of faith in you Naruto, and believe or not, so did I. I didn't know that you already knew Ebisu but he really is good at training basics and he was supposed to drill you in those until Jiraiya-sama came to begin training you."

Naruto held his hand up to stop Kakashi.

"Wait, Ero-Sennin was supposed to be my trainer for the third stage?" Slowly his face turned red with repressed rage. "_**Do you have any idea what I had to do to convince him to train me**_?" He roared.

Kakashi watched in silence as Naruto began to mutter various plots for revenge on the Toad Sannin. Some were quite clever and he shuddered when he heard some of the others. The only thing they all seemed to have in common was a great deal of pain. _Maa, maybe I shouldn't have told him that?_ Waiting for Naruto to wind down, Kakashi found himself being glared at by Naruto.

"You are a fantastic shinobi. Kakashi-sensei." Naruto said. "You were, however, a really bad Jonin-sensei." Naruto turned and faced the Hokage monument. "I don't think my father would have been happy with the way you handled things. Still, I'm not a genin anymore." Turning back to Kakashi, Naruto held his hand out. "I promise I'll try not to hold the past against you, Sensei, but you're gonna have to earn it."

Kakashi considered the hand in front of him. There was much more to the story then he'd told Naruto, but he couldn't refuse the handshake without making the boy suspicious. Reaching forward, he shook Naruto's hand while simultaneously hoping that this wouldn't come back to bite him in the ass later.

"Well, now that we have that settled, how much of your mother's kenjutsu style do you actually know?" Kakashi asked.

Naruto tapped his chin as he considered how to answer.

"I'm not sure." He said reluctantly. "I've studied the scrolls she left, and its been useful but I didn't really have anything to compare it against."

"Hmm." Kakashi said. "Alright, I want you to draw your kodachi and use the forms you know. Should let me know what we need to work on."

Naruto nodded and drew his kodachi from it's place in the seal on his arm. Dropping into his mother's kenjutsu stance, he began to dance the forms as smoothly as he could. Loosing himself in the rhythm, he failed to notice the widening of Kakashi's eye in surprise.

Kakashi was dumbfounded as he watched Naruto. There were many rough edges in the forms Naruto was using, but for having trained himself from a scroll, even counting in the Bunshin Naruto was sure to have used, Naruto's swordsmanship was at a much higher level then Kakashi had thought. _So, all I need to do is grind out the rough spots and teach him some of the more advanced kata, _Kakashi thought to himself. _Once that's taken care of, he can branch out and make this style his own_.

Finishing the forms he knew, Naruto waited while Kakashi collected his thoughts.

"That was very good Naruto. Much better than I was expecting, to be honest." Naruto swelled up a bit at the praise but deflated with Kakashi's next sentence. "Still, we have a lot of work to do if you want to master that style."

Kakashi began running Naruto through the correct way to move and had him create clones to practice each individual movement before he began the next. Time flew by for the two as the field slowly filled with more and more copies of Naruto. Eventually reaching the end of the basics, Kakashi debated more advanced training. Gazing over the clones, he decided that Naruto was better served taking a day or two to polish his skill before building on it. He also had something he needed to talk to Naruto about.

Motioning for Naruto to sit, Kakashi sat next to him.

"Naruto, I've noticed today that you seem a bit on edge. What's bugging you?"

Naruto sat and stared at his hands. He debated if he should talk to Kakashi about it given the past but remembered his promise to try to put it behind him. Perhaps Kakashi could help him. He certainly wasn't finding answers on his own.

"Kakashi-sensei, how do you deal with killing?"

Kakashi sucked in a breath and carefully put his book away. In hindsight, the problem was completely obvious. Despite his background, Naruto was one of the most compassionate people Kakashi had ever met. Of course he was going to have issues with his first kills.

"Naruto, my sensei once told me that the meaning of Shinobi is 'One that endures.' I believe he got the phrase from Jiraiya-sama because I've heard him use it as well. I suppose the question is, how do you feel about killing?"

"I hate it." Naruto said quietly, still staring at his hands. "I suppose one of the reasons I hate it was that little moment of triumph I felt when I did it. It made me feel like a monster, like I was the Fox."

"Do you think your father was a monster?" Kakashi asked quietly and was answered by Naruto shaking his head no. "He personally killed thousands of Iwa-nin during the last war. If that didn't make him a monster, why would a few you didn't enjoy make you one?"

Naruto was surprised when Kakashi tossed an arm over his shoulder.

"I can see that you're still not convinced. So, what would have happened if you hadn't done what you did?"

Naruto shook his head when he considered that. If he hadn't killed those Snow and Sound-nin, some of his precious people would have died in their place.

Seeing Naruto's expression change, Kakashi gave him an eye-smile.

"Sensei also said something else._ 'No matter what you do, do it for love. If you do, you can always find your way back to the light.'_ You don't have to like killing, in fact I expect you never will. You just have to simply accept that it is part of our way of life. You may mourn, you may regret, but always remember what would happen if you didn't act."

Naruto nodded woodenly. Perhaps Kakashi was right, his internal turmoil was certainly lessened after considering his words. _Perhaps the reason Temari seemed so at ease after she killed that Sound kunoichi is because she already accepted this. I certainly don't see her as a monster for it, maybe I am being to harsh with myself._

Letting Naruto stew for a short time, Kakashi stood.

"Alright, I want you to dispel the clones and then run through the kata again." He held up a hand. "Wait, I almost forgot, Gai wanted me to pass on a message. He said that the next time you have to give Tenten explosive tags, you should remember to collect them after."

Naruto raised an eyebrow.

"He said that?"

Kakashi eye-smiled.

"I my be paraphrasing. He was rather excited. Also looked a bit scorched." He chuckled when Naruto winced.

Bracing himself, Naruto began dispelling each group of clones in order of creation. Seeing Kakashi watching him curiously he explained.

"It hurts like hell if I just dispel them all at once." Seeing Kakashi nod his understand, Naruto continued until the final group. Standing, he once again drew his kodachi and lost himself in the dance.

Kakashi watched with satisfaction as Naruto smoothly slid across the ground. The decision to focus on the basics was paying off very well. Tomorrow they could begin work on more advanced forms and then linking everything together. He felt a brief twinge of jealousy about Naruto's ability to train with clones but it passed when he considered what Naruto had to deal with. _Hmm, bunshin training versus dealing with Kyubi... yeah, no._

* * *

Finishing the forms and being dismissed by Kakashi with orders to report for more advanced training tomorrow, Naruto wandered back towards his house. Stopping for a moment to study the remains of the seal he'd first broken through when he'd inherited the estate, Naruto wandered into the garden lost in his thoughts.

_So, my father had the entire estate sealed off before I broke the seal. I don't want to seal everything off but I wonder if its possible to modify the existing array to ward of unwelcome guests? Would certainly be faster than doing it from scratch if it works but only if I can change it. Assuming I can even modify one of Tou-san's seals._

Lost in his thoughts, Naruto almost didn't see Sakura sitting quietly on a bench near the koi pond, staring into the water. Perhaps it was a lingering remnant of his old crush on her, but that particular shade of pink never failed to get his attention. Deciding he would have to stop and think about that at a later date, Naruto crossed to where Sakura was and sat next to her.

"Ne, Sakura-chan? Whatcha doing?"

Sakura jerked in surprise not having noticed Naruto's presence. Raising her fist to whack him over the head, she paused and stared at her fist. Slowly, she lowered her hand while Naruto watched in some confusion.

"Gomen," She muttered standing. "I didn't mean to bother you." Bowing, she turned to leave, but was stopped when Naruto grabbed her arm.

"Sit." He commanded. Pulling her down onto the bench, Naruto studied her carefully. "What happened this time?"

Sakura fidgeted nervously. "Well, I went out into the village today. I wondered if the past few weeks would have changed my parent's mind about things."

"I'm guessing the answer was no." Naruto asked dryly.

Sakura shook her head.

"Everywhere I went, the people were staring at me and whispering behind my back. It was horrible, I felt like a bug in a jar."

Naruto sighed.

"Yeah, trust me, I get where you're coming from. My entire life they either ignored me or hated me and now they try to kiss my ass like that would make me happy." Naruto snorted. "I'd almost rather go back to being ignored. The civilians are just so damn troublesome."

The two shared a snicker at Naruto blatantly stealing Shikamaru's catch-phrase. Placing a hand on her shoulder, Naruto gently squeezed.

"Things will work out, Sakura-chan. You just have to believe in yourself. I remember that Ino-chan said you were really good in the medical classes - maybe you should go with Temari and train with Baa-Chan?"

When Sakura whimpered a bit at the thought of dealing with the villagers on her way to the hospital, Naruto smiled reassuringly.

"Don't worry. If you're with Temari, nobody will dare say anything."

Sakura smiled weakly. He had a point - Temari wasn't likely to stand for anything like the catcalls she'd faced earlier in the day.

"Will she help me though?" Sakura asked.

Naruto's grin spread.

"Yeah, she will. She's not nearly as dispassionate as she likes to make it seem." Naruto tapped his chin and hummed in thought. "Still doesn't really like you though. Might want to do something about that Sakura-chan."

Laughing a bit at the look on Sakura's face, Naruto headed inside noticing Scarlet sneaking up on Sakura from the corner of his eye. He almost wished he could stick around and watch Sakura short out when Scarlet got close enough but he figured he needed to get started on researching the perimeter seals.

* * *

Several hours later, Temari found Naruto glaring at a scroll sitting on the study desk.

"You seem displeased." She noted coolly.

Naruto glanced up and nodded at Temari.

"Yeah, I just found out that I can't use Tou-san's seals for security. When activated, they create a barrier like when we took Reynard into my head to visit the Fox. The problem is that it encloses everything within the perimeter and leaves no way in or out. For obvious reasons, that isn't going to work." Naruto ran a hand through his hair tiredly. "I'm gonna have to design something from scratch which is gonna suck."

Temari nodded to show she was following along.

"What about implementing it? I thought that would be the real problem."

Naruto smiled at her smugly.

"Tsk, you're forgetting my Bunshin Temari-chan. Implementing it won't be a problem." He turned back to the desk with a snarl. "No, the problem is designing something flexible enough but with enough strength."

Temari placed her hand on her hip.

"Well, you're done with it for today. It's time for super and then you're going to pamper your wife."

"Eh, pamper my wife?" Naruto asked with some confusion. "Ano, what does that mean, exactly?"

Temari smirked.

"My legs and feet are sore and my body aches. Any idea whose fault that would be?"

Naruto nodded.

"Oh, if you wanted a foot rub and a massage you should have just asked." He chided his wife.

Temari just grinned.

"Nah, takes all the fun out of it for me." Waiting for him to link arms with her, she poked him in the side with her finger. "We both know who wears the pants in this family."

Naruto chuckled.

"Remind me, have I ever seen you wearing pants?"

Temari gently whacked the back of his head.

"It's an expression, Baka Husband."

Naruto laughed and continued to bicker fondly with Temari as they went upstairs. Despite everything, today had been a good day.

* * *

A dark clothed figure rolled over the wall of the Hygua compound and hit the ground soundlessly. Darting into cover, the figure watched the patrolling guards carefully before slowly working his way across the grounds. He had several close calls and he mentally thanked Kami the Hygua never seemed to use their bloodline inside their own grounds unless training.

Reaching his destination, he silently slid inside the manor and quickly padded to his destination. Sliding the door open, he confirmed his target was inside before he entered. Looking down at the sleeping Neji, Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto had a truly evil smile plastered across his face.

A loud scream sounded across the village the next morning and Naruto smiled as he sipped his tea on the back balcony. Neji had pranked him, Naruto had pranked back. Honors were now even. _Still,_ he mused. _I wonder how long it took Neji to realize he had short blonde hair, whisker marks and was wearing orange._ Dismissing the thought from his mind, Naruto prepared for the days training with a smile.

* * *

The week passed quickly for Naruto, though he still hadn't quite gotten the formula right for the security seal. The training with Kakashi paid off very well. A freestyle spar with their blades at the end of the week had resulted in a stalemate. Admittedly, Kakashi hadn't been going full-out, but he had admitted to being forced to use at least low jonin speed to avoid Naruto's blade. Quite the achievement given that he had first picked up a blade only a few months beforehand.

Cuddling with Temari, Naruto decided he might as well get the subject on his mind over and dealt with.

"Temari-chan, you still awake?" He asked quietly.

Temari rolled over to face him.

"What?" She asked sleepily.

"How would you feel about adding Sakura to Clan Uzumaki?" Naruto asked hurriedly.

Temari's eyes snapped open, then narrowed.

"Naruto, we've discussed this and I believe you told me you didn't want to marry her."

Naruto raised the arm Temari wasn't laying on defensively.

"I said that and I meant that. I'm not talking about marriage though. I'm talking about adopting her into Clan Uzumaki."

Temari considered that while continuing to glare at her husband.

"Explain." She commanded curtly.

"I've had a clone tail Sakura-chan when she leaves the compound." Naruto admitted. "The way the civilians are treating her reminds me a lot of when I was younger. Seems that since she was rejected by 'Uchiha-Sama' the regular townsfolk see her as trash." Naruto paused while some unpleasant memories passed through his mind. "I think it would do wonders for her if she could identify with being part of a clan again. Besides, the civilians would have to treat her better or risk offending me and given how much they suck up to us when we go out..." Naruto trailed off.

Temari sighed and pulled Naruto's face close to hers.

"I will reluctantly admit that you have a point. If I say no, what would you do?" She searched his face while she waited for his answer.

"I would do nothing." He told her with complete honesty. "Sakura-chan is my friend, but you are my wife and co-head of the clan. If you do not accept her, I will not adopt her into the clan but I will never stop helping her."

Temari closed her eyes and considered his answer carefully.

"Very well, I will agree to this. I assume you found something in your mother's papers about this?"

Naruto nodded.

"Yes, the scroll is sitting on the desk in the study. It has the Uzumaki swirl on it. Since I'm back on mission rotation tomorrow, I assume Baa-Chan will be sending me out. If you would like to read it over while I'm gone, you're more than welcome."

Temari rolled over and then pushed herself back against him getting comfortable.

"Fine, I'll look it over, but for now, lets just go to sleep, kay?"

Naruto draped his free arm over Temari and gently stroked her protruding stomach.

"Mm, sounds good."

* * *

The next morning, Naruto stood in front of Tsunade, his eye twitching. Standing next to him, Shikamaru looked bored but a faint undertone of irritation could be seen in his eyes. On his other side, Tenten was staring at Naruto with puppy eyes, trying to convince him to hand over more explosive tags. She'd tried some of the standard tags sold in her parent's shop but after using Naruto's modified tags, they left her unsatisfied. She'd debated telling Naruto she would bear his children to get her hands on the formula for those tags but in the end decided that angering Temari would be a bad thing.

"Seriously, Baa-Chan?" Naruto whined at Tsunade. You're sending the three of us out to find a **ferret**?"

Tsunade nodded as she read the mission scroll.

"Yes, we've been contacted by a clan - this is a valid mission."

"Baa-Chan, this sucks." Naruto complained loudly, ignoring the twitch over Tsunade's eye.

"Naruto," She barked. "If you want to make jonin, this sort of behavior is unacceptable!"

Naruto snapped to attention.

"My apologies Hokage-sama, we shall of course complete our orders to the best of our abilities. Even if it is a complete waste of time."

Gathering the assignment scroll, Naruto motioned for the squad to form up and led them out. As soon as the doors closed, he turned to face the team.

"Okay, this blows. Let's just get this done as fast as we can and then try to forget it ever happened." He was amused when both teammates nodded vigorously. Seems he wasn't the only one that thought this mission was a waste of time. "Alright, let's get going."

* * *

"**Whatever you do, do it for love. If you keep to that, your path will never wander so far from the light that you can never return."**

― **Jim Butcher, Changes **

AN

**As you may have noticed, I paraphrased this quote earlier in the story by Kakashi. It's actually really good advice if you think about it. So, I'm not about to try to explain the mess that was the second Naruto movie but I will have Naruto summarize things for Tsunade. Nothing to terribly exciting in this chapter I know, but pay attention cause somethings are more important than you would think. More politics in the near future and hey, road trip! o7**


	19. Don't Punch

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Behold the power of DRAGON! I'm not sure why my Beta puts up with me sometimes.

**AN**

**Snow? In May? Man, the weather has been a tad odd this year. This chapter pushes me over the 100k words mark which is pretty huge. I want to thank you guys for reading this but it has caused me a new problem... I've discovered I'm a review whore. *Sobs.. it's true! **

**It's been interesting so far, I started off using way too many cliche's and then sort of headed off into unknown territory but I would like to think that my writing has gotten better over the last few months. A lot of that comes from some interesting conversations I've had with some of my more critical reviewers. *Holds up a wound diagram. "And then the mean reviewer stabbed me here, here and last but not least here." Thanks for being there to bounce ideas off of guys. (That is a generic term, not offense intended to the women on team "Don't Kick My Ass" Otherwise known in the future as DKMA) On with the Story!**

* * *

_"[Thomas said] "I have my cell phone on me. Try to call before things start exploding."_

_"Maybe this time it'll be different. Maybe I'll work everything out through reason, diplomacy, dialogue, and mutual cooperation."_

_Thomas eyed me._

_I tried to look wounded. "It could happen."_

_― Jim Butcher, Turn Coat_

* * *

Three battered and bandaged figures stood before Tsunade , bracing themselves when Tsunade slammed her palm against the desk.

"It was a simple C-Rank mission! What the hell do you mean 'mission failed?'" She yelled incredulously.

Naruto sighed when Shikamaru and Tenten both looked at him pleadingly. Unsealing a very large scroll, Naruto tossed it on Tsunade's desk with a thud.

"Wasn't a C-Rank, Baa-chan." He said dryly. "Suna classified their part in it as S-rank and I would tend to agree."

Tsunade steepled her fingers in front of her face and narrowed her eyes.

"Explain." She demanded. "We weren't paid for anything other then retrieving a lost pet."

Naruto exchanged looks with Shikamaru and Tenten again, then shrugged.

"Alright, I'm not even going to try to explain everything, that's what the report is for." He said pointing at the scroll laying near Tsunade. "I can hit the highlights I guess."

Shifting nervously under Tsunade's glare, he scratched his head as he thought about where he could start.

"Might as well start where our team came in." He half muttered. Raising his voice, he began to explain. "So, we found the stupid tube-rat-."

"Ferret, Naruto." Tenten corrected him, only to get a glare.

"As I was saying, we had the stupid ferret and then got attacked by some guy wearing this odd metal armor. So we were winning pretty easily against him and his back-up squad when _someone_," He turned to glare at a nervously grinning Tenten. "Decided to blow me off a cliff. With my own explosive tags."

"I said I was sorry!"

Naruto continued to glare at her.

"And yet, I don't find myself caring because you _blew me off a cliff_!"

Seeing Tsunade beginning to lose her cool, Shikamaru took over for Naruto.

"We got separated, Hokage-sama, and we started to search for Naruto but we were interrupted by what we thought was an earthquake. Turns out it was some sort of giant moving metal fortress."

Tsunade quirked an eyebrow.

"You can't be serious."

Tenten spoke up.

"Completely, Tsunade-sama. We infiltrated it and overheard two women wearing that strange metal armor talking about something called the Gelel Stone." Tenten's eyes turned bleak for her next statement. "There were kids, Tsunade-sama. They stuffed them into these pod things and drained them to power their war machines. We couldn't save any of them, so we blew the entire fortress up."

"From what it sounds like so far, that seems like the logical decision." Tsunade said gravely. Looking at Naruto especially, she handed out some advice. "You'll never be able to save everyone. Sometimes you must simply make the hard choice. So, how exactly did you blow it up since Nara here said it was a metal fortress?"

When Naruto and Shikamaru both turned and glared at her, Tenten shifted and tried to look innocent.

"Well, it's possible I _may_ have possibly_ acquired_ some of Naruto's modified tags and used them. The boom was quite satisfying."

Faced with the truly terrifying expression of bliss on Tenten's face, Naruto and Shikamaru edged closer together and further from the somewhat deranged girl.

"So, anyway Baa-chan, I woke up bandaged next to the guy we were fighting. Turns out we were found by the client looking for the ferret and they patched us up. The clan traveled in this caravan and the clan-head Kahiko told me about how they use to have a country but it was destroyed. Then he tells me that the stupid tube-rat is actually older than he is and that it had been around since the country was destroyed."

Naruto paused at the look of skepticism on Tsunade's face.

"Yeah, that's what I thought, till I found out the stupid thing is immortal. I watched it get cut in half then regenerate, Baa-chan. After that, age was just a number. So, anyway, the guy we fought, his name was Temujin and he got a little aggressive with me about my 'strange power.' At first, I didn't have a clue what he meant but turns out he had no idea what chakra was."

Shikamaru and Tenten both nodded before Tenten spoke up in support.

"It's true Tsunade-sama, they'd never even heard of chakra. Those machines I mentioned earlier seemed to drain the kids of chakra but it doesn't seem anyone actually understood how it worked. They could do stuff like our jutsu but they used the stones for the power to do so."

Naruto frowned at the interruption even if he was sort of glad for the support.

"So, you want to tell this or can I continue?" He asked Tenten - a tad sarcastic - getting a slight blush of embarrassment from the girl. _Let's see... where was I?... oh, yeah, got it._

"So, Temujin runs off and the stupid ferret decided to go with him. Kahiko told me that since the stupid thing wasn't there, the mission was still on-going. I started to argue with him until I realized that having been unconscious, I never had him sign the mission scroll."

"Yes." Tsunade said with a slight grin at his embarrassment. "Typically, you would want to get the scroll signed straight away but I suppose under the circumstances I can let that slide."

"Thanks, Baa-chan." Naruto said rolling his eyes. "Your support means the world to me."

Tsunade chuckled and motioned for him to continue his report.

"I followed Temujin and he led me to that metal structure Tenten and Shikamaru were talking about earlier. As far as I can figure out, when I was getting dragged inside to 'help form Utopia', Shikamaru and Tenten were infiltrating. So, I get dragged in by Temujin to meet his master, and he introduces me to this teme named Haido. He kept telling me about his wish to spread peace but I wasn't really buying it cause his attitude reminded me of a Hyuga with two sticks crammed up...well, you get my point." He finished hurriedly when Tenten glared at him. _Oops, forgot about her little crush on Neji... wonder if he got that dye out of his hair yet.. ahh, focus!_

Tsunade hid her grin behind her hand. Yes, the image his comment created in her head was amusing but she could tell that Naruto was getting bored and losing focus. _Something to keep in mind with his training I suppose,_ she mused. _We've been focused on the physical but if he wants to be Hokage, he's gonna have to learn to deal with boredom in a way other than letting his mind wander._

"Ahem, yes, I get your point, but I need you to focus please."

Naruto stiffened slightly as he caught the light rebuke, but relaxed again when he noticed that Tsunade wasn't angry, just warning him.

"So, I tell the teme that I'm not interested when there is an announcement that the ship sent to the Land of Wind was destroyed. I figured since Suna is our ally, I would go check it out."

Naruto stopped and pulled a scroll with the Suna Hourglass on it.

"Reminds me, this is for you Baa-chan, and I know what it says and I'm really looking forward to it."

Tsunade opened the scroll and skimmed the contents.

"I see. I can't promise you anything Naruto. This will have to go to the council."

"Oh, come on Baa-Chan." Naruto whined. "You're just trying to embarrass me like the whole Koyuki-hime marriage proposal thing. I thought Temari-chan was going to murder me right there in the council room."

Tenten perked up hearing Naruto's complaint. _I thought the Princess liked him more than she ever admitted but she really sent a marriage proposal? Well, that would certainly explain why Temari looked so pissed. Caused me some really unpleasant flashbacks too. _She surfaced from her thoughts and realized she'd missed some of what Naruto said.

"So Gaara crushed the one that turned into some sort of gorilla thing and the other one grew bat-wings and flew off! Don't look at me like that Baa-Chan, it's the truth. So, we gather up Temujin's 'noble sacrifices', poor kids, and then we took of in pursuit of the bat-chick."

"Ugh." Tsunade groaned. "Just get to the part where you failed the mission I sent you on. I'm going to have to read all this again anyway."

Naruto shrugged.

"Alright, so we killed the bad guy and learned I can add stuff to my rasengan. Then, the mine everything was in more or less blows up, not actually Tenten's fault this time. Everything is going fine, the invasion force is leaving.. and the stupid tube-rat swims out to the ship headed back to wherever it is they came from. So, basically, we stop an invasion of the elemental nations, stop a madman from creating an army of super soldiers and fail our C-Rank mission cause the damn rodent runs off."

Tsunade stared blankly at the trio for a moment before she slowly reached down and pulled a desk drawer open. Lifting a saké jar, she took a pull straight from it before she reluctantly place it back. Closing her eyes, she pinched the bridge of her nose attempting to stave off what looked to be one hell of a headache.

"Naruto." She said quietly. "Can't you ever just do something simple? It was a C-rank for Kami's sake."

Naruto shrugged.

"It's probably better that it is me. Some of the stuff I've run into on my two officially C-ranked missions would have probably killed most of the other chunin."

Tsunade grunted an agreement. The Gaki had a point even if she didn't really want to admit it. It was hard for her to remember sometimes that if every shinobi was a weapon for the village, Naruto was the trump card. It pained her to think like that - she didn't want to think of him being over his head on missions as a good thing, but he needed the field experience badly.

"Tenten, Shikamaru, you're dismissed. Naruto, stay. We have some things to discuss."

As Shikamaru and Tenten left, Naruto walked over and sank into one of the chairs facing Tsunade's desk with a groan. Anything she felt the need to discuss before he even had time to go home after reporting in probably wasn't going to be something he was going to like.

Tsunade studied the Naruto carefully over her steepled fingers before she began to speak.

"Naruto, while you were gone, I ran some tests on Ino after what happened in the forest during your fight with the Sound-nin. The good news is that Ino is already healed up and is doing well. The bad news is that as far as I can tell, this isn't just a one time thing. Whatever the Kyubi did to her while she was in your head is permanent."

"So what does that mean?" Naruto asked in a subdued voice filled with guilt.

"As far as I know, any time you channel the Kyubi's chakra near Ino, part of it will...'overflow', for lack of a better description, and channel into Ino. I suspect the same thing happens with Reynard but you'd have to ask the Inuzuka vets about that. The chakra that streams into Ino doesn't seem to physically harm her like it does you but her chakra coils won't handle another hit like that. I'll give it to you straight, if you draw on the Kyubi's chakra near Ino, it will end her career as a kunoichi."

Naruto sat back in his chair with a dismayed expression as he digested the information.

"Baa-chan, I hate using Kyubi's power. It feels like a crutch but being realistic, I **am** the village Jinchuriki. There are times I may have to use it, so how do we protect Ino?"

"I'm not sure." Tsunade admitted tiredly. "Given the nature of the problem, I'll probably have to recall the Pervert to find a solution."

"Hmm, I'm nowhere near Ero-Sennin's skill with fuinjutsu but I do have my mother and father's notes. I can start looking into it."

Tsunade gave Naruto a level look.

"I agree, it won't hurt to have you do some basic research into a possible seal but I do not want you attempting anything without Jiraiya."

Naruto nodded as he stood.

"Gotcha Baa-chan. Trust me, I don't think I'm good enough to do this without him thoroughly checking my work."

Tsunade grinned.

"That's good Gaki. You're getting stronger very quickly. I don't want you getting a swelled head."

Naruto stared blankly at Tsunade.

"Baa-chan, have you _met_ my wife? I'm pretty certain that if I get that 'swelled head,' she will be more than happy to pound it out of me."

Tsunade began to chuckle and it quickly turned to outright laughter.

"She doesn't look like your mother but sometimes she reminds me of Kushina quite a bit." Wiping a tear from her eye, she gave Naruto a pure smile. "When I first found out about the marriage, I was really worried Naruto. It's true I used it to your advantage and got you your inheritance but deep down I was worried that I was condemning you to being unhappy."

Naruto gave her an odd look.

"Maa, I never had any worries."

Tsunade stared at Naruto incredulously then began howling with laughter.

"Oh really?" She choked out. "What about, and I quote here, 'She's _crazy_.'"

Naruto flushed and turned his face to the side.

"Don't know what you're talking about, Baa-chan." He muttered.

Tsunade managed to restore herself to a semblance of calm and shooed him towards the door.

"Alright, I'm done with you for now Gaki. I'm sure you're wanting to get home but don't forget that tonight is the weekly council meeting."

"Crap." Naruto muttered under his breath as he left the office. "Maybe I should have listened to Shikamaru about stopping over and getting back tomorrow."

* * *

Naruto felt a shiver travel down his spine as he approached his front door. For some reason, he wasn't quite as glad to be back as he'd just been. Reaching for the doorknob, he nearly screeched when Reynard spoke up from right behind him.

"Welcome home, Naruto-sama." The fox said, his body language screaming his amusement.

"Kami, Reynard." Naruto half yelled. "How the hell do you keep doing that?"

Satisfaction joined amusement in Reynard's body language as he replied.

"Do what Naruto-sama? I was merely welcoming you home."

Muttering under his breath about smart-ass kitsune, Naruto knelt and ruffled Reynard's fur.

"How you feeling buddy?"

Reynard cocked his head curiously then realized what he was being asked.

"Ahh, you refer to when I channeled Kyubi-sama's chakra. I have fully recovered though it was not pleasant."

Naruto ran his hands along Reynard's fur checking for burn scars. Finding barely a trace, he smiled at Reynard happily.

"Looks like the Inuzuka did good work, I can barely feel the scars."

"Aye." Reynard replied. "Hana-san was very thorough with her healing jutsu. I found her to be admirable, for a human that likes dogs."

"Speaking of, did any of the kits or younger kitsune bond with any Inuzuka while I was away?"

Reynard nodded.

"One of the kits was bonded to a young Inuzuka female. I must admit I was surprised to see Haru chosen. She is one of the kits that has been unable to perform kitsune jutsu even if she can control her chakra."

Naruto frowned.

"You're right, that is kinda strange. Maybe the Inuzuka will train her to use their ninken jutsu instead." Naruto glanced up at the door, then back to Reynard. "I have to get going but are you up for a visit to your doctor tomorrow?"

Reynard quirked an ear.

"Naruto-sama, I am fully healed. There is no reason." The fox paused. "Right, you want to see how Haru is doing without looking like you mistrust the Inuzuka. Your human interactions are somewhat mystifying, Naruto-sama."

Naruto gave Reynard one last ear scratch and stood up dusting his knees off.

"Tomorrow morning, Reynard."

Reynard inclined his head fractionally.

"Very well, Naruto-sama. I shall be here. I have a word of warning. Temari-sama has been irritable since you left, you would be wise to use caution."

_Ahh, so that's what that feeling of doom was. _Naruto waved over his shoulder to show he'd heard.

"I suppose I should stop stalling then. See ya in the morning."

Opening the door, he saw Temari and Sakura sitting at the kitchen table sipping tea while they glared at him. Resisting his instincts screaming at him to run away, he slipped his sandals off and placed them in the shoe holder near the door. Having bought all the time he was going to get, he confidently strolled into the kitchen.

"I'm home, Temari-chan." He said, giving his wife a beaming smile. His smile faltered a bit when she merely lifted an eyebrow at him and continued to sip her tea. _Crap,crap,crap. She's pissed about something but I haven't done anything this time. I said goodbye, I sent a couple of messages while I was gone. What the hell is she so pissed about?_

Turning to Sakura, he completely lost his smile when he saw the familiar fire smoldering at the back of her eyes. _Sakura-chan is pissed too? This makes no sense. _Crossing his arms defensively, Naruto frowned at the two girls.

"Alright, as far as I know, I haven't done anything wrong so if I've done something that pissed the two of you off, let's hear it."

Temari placed her tea-cup back in its saucer with a gentle clink and gave Naruto a thin smile.

"When we discussed possibly adopting Pinky over there the night before you left, you failed to mention that you hadn't discussed it with her. Imagine my surprise when after looking over the adoption process in your mother's books, I asked Sakura her opinion only for her to be completely surprised."

Naruto sighed and moved behind Temari to massage her shoulders. It was perhaps a somewhat unfair advantage but he'd learned that Temari had a hard time maintaining her anger when his fingers worked their magic on her tense muscles.

"I'm sorry Temari-chan." He said softly. "I had planned on talking it over with you more before I asked her. I wasn't expecting you to approach her on your own."

Temari groaned as his hands turned her brain to mush.

"I've felt somewhat worthless lately, being constrained from doing most physical activity." She admitted quietly. "I wanted to do something to show that I was taking my responsibilities seriously."

Naruto chuckled and kissed the crown of her head softly.

"You don't have to worry about that Temari-chan. I could never imagine you being worthless." Continuing his massage, he lightly nuzzled her hair. "Forgive me?"

Reaching up, she lay her hand on his cheek and lightly patted it.

"You've learned too many ways to manage my temper husband. Yes, you're forgiven but now you're going to have to deal with Pinky and don't think I'll let you use this technique on her."

Sakura looked on the scene with a deep jealousy. Living in the same house, she'd become accustomed to Temari and she'd surprised herself by actually starting to like the other girl. Temari was blunt and straightforward in her dealings but it was at least a refreshing change from the backstabbing gossip in the village. Watching Naruto pamper Temari and listening to their conversation, Sakura began feeling extremely bitter and she wasn't exactly sure why. She thought a lot of it had to do with Temari not getting to choose her husband and doing well with it while the opposite was true for her.

Hearing the comment about not getting massaged irritated Sakura even more. It wasn't like she'd wanted one, even if it did look like Temari was blissing out. It wasn't like Naruto was even interested. Suddenly Sakura knew what was causing most of the rest of her unease. _He was always chasing me_, she thought sadly. _Even when no one wanted anything to do with me, he was there asking me on a date. I said I hated it and hit him but I really wanted the attention._ Watching Naruto finish up with Temari's shoulder massage with another affectionate kiss to the top of her head, caused her temper to flare over the boiling point. _Shannaro! Don't ignore me, I'm sitting right here!_

Completely unaware of Sakura's train of thought, Naruto wandered over to face her with an easy grin.

"So, what do you think Sakura-chan. You want to join Clan Uzumaki?"

Sakura pointed her finger at his face and spoke with a voice edged with acid.

"You told me that in the end, all that mattered is how I felt about myself. I thought it was good advice and then Temari tells me that you had a shadow clone follow me through town and decided you'd offer me a place in the clan so that they would treat me better."

Naruto opened his mouth to defend himself when Sakura began yelling.

_"I do not need your pity, Naruto!"_ Seeing the dumbstruck expression on Naruto's face, Sakura made the mistake of slipping into old habits. Cocking her fist back, she struck out to punch Naruto and was given no time to react when he twisted to the side and grabbed her wrist.

Reacting on instinct and his recent training, Naruto spun to the side as he grabbed Sakura's wrist. Continuing to move with his momentum, he slid around behind her back and pinned the arm up as he palmed a kunai and slammed her face down into the table. He let out a small sigh of relief when he managed to adjust his trained attack with the kunai to slam into the table rather then the back of Sakura's head. Pressing her arm further up her back to make sure he had her attention, he glared at his former crush.

"What the hell was that?" He growled. "You're a guest in my home, Sakura, and you take a chakra enhanced swing at me for no good reason?"

Sakura stared at the kunai quivering in the table with absolute shock. She'd barely seen him move and _Naruto_ of all people had almost killed her. She was understandably proud of her medical training - even after missing almost a month of classes, she had clawed her way back to the top of the class. The kunai that almost bisected her head reminded her that for all the time she'd spent studying to heal, Naruto had spent that same time and more learning to kill. It was a very sobering realization.

"I'm sorry." She gasped. "I was so angry about everything I just acted."

Naruto released her and pointed to the chair she'd been sitting in.

"Sit." He commanded.

Rubbing her wrist, Sakura sat not missing the amused glance Temari was sending her.

Naruto stood, hands on his hips as he glared at Sakura.

"Alright, time to clear the air here. Yes, part of the reason I wanted to invite you to join Clan Uzumaki was as a jab straight in the eye for the civilians in the village." Leaning forward till he was right in her face, he lowered his voice. "Do you think I'm so shallow that I would allow someone in _my_ clan for only such a reason?"

Seeing that he had her undivided attention, Naruto pulled the closest chair and sat down facing Sakura.

"I have a problem, Sakura-chan." He said pleasantly. "At the moment, there are only two members of Clan Uzumaki. There is me, of course, and then Temari as well. While it's true that the Uzumaki vitality bloodline is dominant, do you have any idea how long it would take to rebuild the clan with just us?"

Sakura shook her head shakily. She'd never considered the problem from that angle and she was surprised to hear it from Naruto.

"Why me?" Sakura asked, bracing herself for the possible resurfacing of his temper.

To her surprise, Naruto clapped his hands together and smiled.

"Good, you're thinking now. With the Uzumaki bloodline being a passive dominant, the Clan would frequently find promising shinobi and have them marry into the clan. In addition to the extra stability for shinobi families, the polygamy policy was also to produce enough children that there would always be an available Uzumaki if a talented shinobi was found and willing to join the clan."

Sending an amused glance at Temari, Naruto turned back to Sakura.

"Since marriage is out in this case for several reasons, there was another practice. The Clan would sometimes simply adopt a promising shinobi, or in this case kunoichi, with the understanding that their children would marry into the clan."

Sakura sat still as she processed all the information Naruto had just hit her with.

"I have two questions." She said slowly. "First, what do you mean by 'passive dominant'? And second, why me?"

Naruto scratched his head in thought.

"Well, for the first part, from what I read in my mother's scrolls, the Uzumaki don't have what most would consider to be a Kekki Genkai at all. No mixed elemental attacks or funky eyes. What we do have is increased strength, chakra and health. Every blood member of the clan gets this to some degree or another but it's pretty random. So, it's both passive in not having some sort of active effect but also dominant because all clan members get it. I suspect that probably makes more sense for you then it does for me cause of your medical training."

Standing, he began to pace.

"As for why you? You should really have some more confidence Sakura-chan. You're very smart and have an instinctual control over your chakra that's pretty amazing. Even back in the academy you tended to enhance your punches with chakra." He gave her a whimsical smile. "You've flattened me to the ground on more then one occasion Sakura-chan. Got any idea how difficult that actually is?"

Temari spoke up from where she was watching the conversation with interest.

"Much as I hate to admit it, he has a point, Pinky. Your abilities would make a useful addition to the clan, but he also has another reason for the offer." Ignoring the glare Naruto shot her, Temari smiled triumphantly. "You may be thinking he still has that crush on you. I'm inclined to agree that at least part of that remains, he is such a stubborn boy, but mostly he views you as something like a sister. For all of the rationale he came up with, it boils down to, he sees you as family and is willing to make it official."

Naruto flushed and turned away from the girls in embarrassment. _Damn it Temari, it was hard enough to think of logical reasons. Did you have to just bluntly tell Sakura-chan that?_

Sakura stared wide-eyed between Naruto and Temari. She was suffering from an information overload and didn't realize she was crying until she felt the tears slide along her cheeks. For the first time in a very long time, her tears weren't driven by pain or sadness. The fact that after everything that had ever happened between them, _Naruto_ of all people was willing to welcome her to his family because he wanted to was very warming.

As much as she wanted to immediately accept, there were things she didn't know and reality came crashing in as it always does. Wiping her tears away, she spoke up.

"While I appreciate the offer, I would like to look over some of the scrolls about Uzumaki clan practices before I give you an answer."

Naruto turned back to face Sakura with a teasing grin.

"That's fine Sakura-chan. You wouldn't be you if you didn't want to get as much information as you could before making a decision." Creating a clone and sending it off to get the requested material. he walked back to Temari and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I want you to think this over carefully before you give us your answer."

The clone returned with a small pile of scrolls and Naruto motioned it to place them in front of Sakura.

"While you're busy with that, Temari-chan and I need to get ready for a council meeting." Leaning down he whispered to Temari. "I ran into your brothers on this last mission and there is some news you should hear before we go."

Glancing up, Temari was somewhat alarmed by the amusement dancing in her husband's eyes. It obviously wasn't something bad but Naruto had a strange sense of humor sometimes and whatever this was, it amused the hell out of him. With a mental shrug, she stood and linked arms with him as they headed upstairs. _Only one way to find out, I guess._

* * *

Entering the council chambers, Temari let Naruto lead her to her seat in something of a daze. _Gaara_ was going to be the next Kazekage? It was like something from a fever dream but Naruto had assured her he was being completely serious. At first the news had failed to really register and it was only Naruto's obvious pride in his friend that convinced her that he wasn't playing a joke. Then the further implications hit home. _Fantastic, I just moved from a keima to a narikei on the Shogi board. (1) See Dragon's footnote for explanation.  
_

Sitting, she noticed Naruto was studying her with a worried expression.

"I'm fine Naruto, it's just a lot to take in."

Naruto nodded and took his seat as Tsunade called the council to order. Reaching over he took Temari's hand and gently squeezed.

"Yeah, I was sort of shocked when he told me but I'm proud of him. He really turned things around for himself."

Temari's smile was a tad bitter when she whispered back.

"Yeah, it's a good thing but I can't help feeling I should have been there helping him out."

"I'm not saying he wouldn't have appreciated having you there." Naruto replied. "I will say that there isn't much you could have done to help him. This was his path to make for himself and he did it well."

Temari nodded and the two fell silent as the council ground its way though the usual boring procedures. She could accept that he was right intellectually but she still felt she'd let her little brother down and it bothered her.

"Finally we have two additional items on today's agenda." Tsunade announced. "First, in approximately a week or so, we will be receiving Kurotsuchi from Iwa. Naruto, you weren't here when Iwa's response came, but they agreed to a long-term engagement for her to the Uchiha clan."

Naruto blinked at the news, then looked confused.

"Ba.. I mean Hokage-sama. I thought they wanted a marriage but you just said long-term engagement. Whats the difference?"

Tsunade drummed her fingers on her desk as she thought about an appropriate response. She had her suspicions but airing them in an open council meeting like this would be unwise.

"Well, unlike with you and Temari, where the marriage happened very quickly, Iwa has taken a bit of a different approach. She will be engaged to Sasuke for an indefinite period of time to determine if they are compatible as spouses." She turned a glare on Sasuke to show her displeasure. "I suspect it's probably a response to recent actions taken by the Uchiha clan."

Naruto nodded to show he understood.

"Thank you, I understand Hokage-sama. I don't have any other questions."

"Good. Moving on to the next item. Sunagakure has chosen a new Kazekage and it is a very favorable choice from our standpoint." She threw a quick smile at Naruto. "They have chosen Gaara and he has requested his sister and brother-in-laws presence at his coronation in two weeks."

Danzo raised his hand for attention and spoke up.

"Forgive me, Hokage-sama, but is it wise for Temari-san to be traveling to Suna in her condition? She is carrying the Uzumaki-Namikaze heirs. It seems unwise to place them in danger."

Naruto leaned towards Temari.

"Heirs?" he asked confused.

Temari shook her head.

"I'll tell you later but I want to know how he knew that."

Naruto rolled his eyes.

"I did tell you he was dangerous. Didn't you read my father's journal?"

Temari felt her cheeks color slightly from embarrassment.

"I didn't get around to it. Things have been busy."

Naruto shook his head again with a sigh.

"Yeah, but you should really set some time aside to read it. It's...informative."

Turning back to the ongoing conversation, Naruto noticed the council was fairly evenly split between people wanting to keep Temari in the village for various reasons and those that wanted to let her go. Listening to the byplay, he felt a plan forming that might somewhat satisfy both sides. Standing, he motioned to Tsunade that he wished to speak.

"There have been good arguments both sides but I have a compromise that I believe will work. It would be unwise to deny Gaara his request to have his sister present when he becomes Kazekage but there is some truth to the fact that it might be dangerous for Temari to go."

"I believe that is substantially what we've said." Sasuke spoke up. "Get to the point, Dobe."

Naruto glowered at Sasuke before he schooled his face back into a small grin.

"Don't worry, Teme." He shot back. "I'm getting there. What I propose is an escort for Temari and me that would also show Konoha's support of Gaara."

Danzo regarded Naruto thoughtfully.

"An escort is a good idea." He admitted. "I have several men I've trained for personal security that could do it."

Naruto forced his grin to remain.

"Yes, I'm sure you do Danzo-san, but it wouldn't show Sunagakure respect like the team I would like to request."

Tsunade spoke next.

"What team Naruto?"

"Team Eight. We'd be sending two council members, myself and Asuma-sensei as well as three clan-heirs. It would be both a show of force and a sign of respect."

Danzo traded glances with the other two elders and spoke for the group.

"The elders would agree with this plan with the minor addition of an ANBU escort squad."

Naruto considered Danzo's words. Obviously the ANBU squad would have one of his Root agents but his request was reasonable. If he wanted the council to accept the compromise, he'd have to accept.

"It would certainly be reasonable to have a larger escort for such a group. I have no objections to your proposal." _Provided your agent doesn't do something I don't like,_ Naruto finished his sentence in his head.

Seeing the room in agreement, Tsunade called the room to attention again.

"Seeing that we have an agreement, I'll assemble a squad for the protective detail. I'll let you rest for a few days Naruto, given that you just got back. Expect to be summoned in a few days to finalize details for the trip." Getting an irreverent thumbs up from Naruto, Tsunade resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Very well, Council Dismissed."

Walking out the door, Naruto was forced to ask Temari the question burning in his brain.

"So, heirs?"

Temari rolled her eyes at Naruto's one-track mind.

"Yes, my last check-up confirmed that I'm carrying twins. A boy and a girl." She was forced to stop when the his arm stiffened and she looked over to see Naruto frozen with a ridiculous grin on his face.

"Congratulations, Fan-Girl." Ino commented from behind Temari where she was standing with her team. "I think you broke him."

Temari shook her head sadly.

"It's a shame, I was thinking about going out for _ramen_ but I guess we can't now." She paused waiting for him to respond then noticed he hadn't even twitched.

"Wow." Choji said munching on some chips. "I didn't think anything could distract him from ramen. What did you tell him?"

"I just told him Tsunade confirmed that we're having twins. A boy and a gir-." She was cut off when Ino glomped her with a loud cheer.

"That's awesome! Can I help you.. ohh, we so need to go shopping, there are the cutest little baby clothes..."

Temari stuffed her hand in Ino's face and pried the other blonde off.

"Damn it Flower-girl, get off. Fine, after the trip to Suna, we can go shopping but you'd better not go all nuts on me." Ino stood there fairly quivering in excitement, her joy of shopping flashing in her eyes and Temari felt the urge to face-palm. _Why are Konoha shinobi and kunoichi so strange?_

Naruto broke out of his trance, and moved over to where Temari seemed to be cowering away from an excited Ino. Deciding it was some sort of girl thing, he ignored it to gently run his hand on Temari's stomach.

"Twins." He said dreamily with a wide smile. "That's really awesome news, Temari-chan."

"I'm glad you approve." Temari said dryly. "If you wouldn't mind, can we go before Flower-girl attacks me again?"

"Oh, hey Ino-chan, good to see you... Temari-chan, why is Ino-chan looking at me like that? It's disturbing."

Temari glanced at Ino.

"Oh, I promised to go shopping with her after our trip to Suna. I think she just figured out she can use your clones to carry stuff. At least that's the only reason I can think of her smile being that predatory."

Naruto paled, and grabbed Temari tightly while concentrating. Just as Ino opened her mouth, the two vanished in a golden flash.

"Muu, that was rude." Ino pouted. "I just wanted to ask him to make a few clones to come along, now I'm going to make _him_ come too."

Turning around, Ino grabbed her ponytail in frustration when she saw her teammates had disappeared. Muttering to herself under her breath, she stalked off to search for them and missed seeing Choji and Shikamaru peering around the corner of the Hokage tower.

Seeing Ino leave, Shikamaru slumped back against the building and stared at the clouds.

"How bothersome. Naruto took off and left us to deal with Ino. Why are blondes so troublesome?"

Choji opened his mouth to agree, when he was cut off by a sickeningly sweet voice from right next to him.

"Troublesome are we?"

Shikamaru turned his head in horror to see Ino standing next to Choji with a very troublesome look on her face.

"Ino, how did you get there? We saw you leave."

Ino smiled evilly and formed a sign with her hands both boys were very familiar with.

"You forget. I was in Naruto's head and saw how he learned this. I didn't have the chakra for it before, but after the fight in the forest with the Sound-nin..." Ino shrugged. "I can't use it like he can, but it's still useful. **Kage Bunshin no Jutsu**."

Shikamaru and Choji looked on with horror as Ino multiplied. One Ino was bad enough, five Ino's was just plain terrifying.

"How troublesome."

* * *

**«Gruff," I said, "I find myself largely clueless about why mortal women do what they do. It will take a wiser man than me to understand what's in a fae woman's mind.» — Jim Butcher**

* * *

**AN**

_**And cut. I recommend you either watch the second Naruto movie or find a summary if you want to understand what Naruto and crew are telling Tsunade at the beginning. The thing with Sakura, she is still confused about who she is and what she really wants. As usual, with Sakura, confusion results in violence but it didn't go quite like she remembered. Martial artists train themselves to react in certain ways that become muscle memory. For those of you now thinking that Naruto was practicing take-downs with shadow clones and stabbing them with kunai, you would be right. Yes, it's a damn crazy thing to do but Naruto isn't exactly all that sane. (Funny thing is that by the standards of Konoha, he sort of is. *shrugs) I based Naruto's reaction on mine when I heard form my ex-fiancee that she was pregnant something like 12 years ago. Ino with shadow clones. I know, I can hear the screams already but her clan jutsu are used for intelligence gathering. Shadow clones aren't hard to learn, they are hard to make cause of the chakra cost and she's had her chakra capacity forcefully increased twice. She is limited to a handful of clones so she can't use them like Naruto but still a very useful Jutsu. (Don't expect her to carry her own bags when shopping though, that's just unrealistic :p ) o7**_

(1)This is Dragon – For those of you curious about what a keima and a narikei are, here's a short lesson in Shogi. Shogi has 20 pieces per player – 9 pawns, 2 lances, 2 knights, 2 silver generals, 2 gold generals, 1 bishop, 1 rook, 1 king. The short of it is that all the pieces, other than the king and generals, have a reverse side which indicates they've been promoted. Keima is the basic knight. Narikei is the promoted version.


	20. Sand Dunes

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

Dragon was super lazy and spent her Beta time playing Borderlands 2 and Sims 3. (Dragon's note, not mine! Agg)

* * *

**AN**

**Sorry about the delay. Last week was pretty hectic and I've just managed to get things settled down giving me time to write. I've started a collection of one-shots from the CF Universe, they will be what-ifs, discarded story-lines and possibly the occasional viewpoint of a non-Konoha character. I'm also willing to accept short stories from other people to post in it. Hope you guys like it, but for now, on with that story.**

"_**They say we wizards are subtle. But believe you me, we've got nothing, nothing at all, on women."  
― Jim Butcher, Storm Front**_

* * *

Naruto quietly slid from the bed so as not to wake Temari and shambled over to the window. Resting his head against the windowsill, he ran through his mental checklist of things he needed to do. Watching the rays of the rising sun move across the grounds, he smiled. It was a peaceful start to a very busy day.

Turning away from the window, his gaze crossed over Temari and his grin widened. Asleep with her hair down and clinging to the pillow he'd replaced himself with, she was simply adorable. Not that he was going to tell her that - his survival instincts warned him that would be painful. Walking over, he sat on the edge of the bed and softly stroked her hair with a frown. He hoped the trip to Sunagakure wouldn't really piss her off but with his luck, there were fan related injuries in his future.

His good mood returned as he got dressed. Temari had gone out and ordered him a new outfit and he really liked it. She'd replaced his blue sandals with a black pair, and replaced the tiger-stripe pants with a burnt orange pair with wide black stripes running lengthwise on the outside of his legs. He had a white t-shirt with the Uzumaki swirl emblazoned on it, similar to one he'd worn when he was younger. Topping it off, he kept the black jacket with the three orange stripes.

Glancing in the mirror, he had to smile. The outfit was really cool and Temari had picked it out for him. There had been a small argument over how much orange he was allowed but she'd relented when he pointed out her obvious love of purple. He frowned as he thought it over - what was with blondes and purple anyway?

Shrugging it off for later consideration, he headed downstairs where he almost ran into Sakura in the kitchen. Seeing her staring out the window with a sad smile, he shuffled over to see what had drawn her interest. Seeing several of the younger kitsune playing near the edge of the garden, Naruto was confused. The foxes were cute, especially when playing so why would Sakura be sad?

Taking a quick glance at his former crush, he noticed she wasn't really seeing the foxes, she just happened to be staring into space in their direction.

Unwilling to get punched for disturbing her, he grabbed a small loaf of bread and headed outside while gnawing on it. He'd already done a lot to try and help Sakura but he wasn't exactly a shrink. She was going to have to take some steps on her own if she wanted to recover.

Stopping after he got outside, he chewed his bread thoughtfully as he scanned the area near him. He needed to take Reynard over to the Inuzuka's for the check-up, which meant the sneaky fox was probably waiting to ambush him. Creating a handful of clones to scout, he cautiously headed towards the front gate, eyes darting here and there. Reynard was a sly old fox. He could be anywhere.

Reaching the gate without incident, Naruto dispelled his clones and looked around in confusion. Surely Reynard should have struck by now. He smiled when Scarlet came bounding up to dance around his legs. Leaning down, he petted the energetic little vixen as he kept an eye on his surroundings. He was quite aware that Reynard liked using Scarlet as a distraction.

When nothing happened for a few minutes, he straightened up and began considering how to hunt Reynard down. Taking lessons from Inoichi was one thing, but copying Kakashi wasn't something Naruto was willing to tolerate. Scanning his surroundings again, he heard a small poof behind him and he cursed under his breath.

"Good Morning Naruto-sama." Reynard called from directly behind Naruto.

Muttering under his breath, Naruto slowly turned to see a highly amused Reynard standing in the small wisps of chakra smoke left from dispelling his Scarlet henge.

"Yeah, good morning smart-ass fox." Naruto growled to hide his embarrassment. He'd been out-ninja'd by a fox. Again! "I wasn't aware you could do that."

Reynard's body language switched from amused to something Naruto could only describe as smug.

"Yes, according to the knowledge Kyubi-sama gave me, kitsune are supposed to be highly talented at shape-shifting. It is similar to the henge you shinobi use but it is a real transformation and not just an illusion."

Naruto frowned as he walked out the gate considering Reynard's words.

"I didn't know that." He finally said. "My henge is solid. I thought that is how it was supposed to work."

Reynard eyed Naruto curiously.

"No, I've seen shinobi use a henge." He responded. "Their jutsu is simply illusion."

The fox walked silently for a few minutes.

"If you do shift, it is probably because of Kyubi-sama's abilities." He finally said quietly.

Naruto nodded in response.

"It makes sense. I never really gave it any thought. It just seemed natural but I really can't say I'm all that surprised. Gaara gets to play with sand, Han had those steam attacks, and I can actually turn into things. I so got robbed!"

The two walked quietly as they headed to the Inuzuka compound. Naruto was carefully watching the villagers as they passed by, somewhat concerned about how they would react to Reynard. Kitsune were not exactly very popular in Konoha, and despite everything, Naruto wasn't exactly trusted. He had support from the majority of the shinobi ranks, but the civilians only understood that he was both a clan head they needed to show respect to and the jinchuriki of the demon who almost destroyed Konohagakure. Naruto almost prefered the harsh stares from his youth. Those had at least been honest, unlike the bows he received now.

Seeing several small children run up and carefully pet Reynard, he amended his previous thoughts slightly. Some of the civilians were coming around but the older generation - he didn't think they ever would. Still, it was measurable progress that he could be proud of.

Reaching the Inuzuka compound, Naruto followed Reynard to the small animal clinic but wasn't expecting to see the person behind the front desk.

"Kiba? What are you doing here?" Naruto asked with some confusion. To the best of his knowledge, Kiba was brave, loyal, brash and not exactly prone to intellectual activities, so seeing him sitting there wearing a lab coat and doing paperwork was strange.

"Oh, hey Naruto." Kiba responded distractedly. "Whatcha doing here?"

"I tagged along for Reynard's final check-up. The better question is what are you doing here?" Naruto said with a bemused smile.

Kiba stood up with a cocky grin and pulled a framed certificate off the wall and handed it to Naruto.

"I'm the heir of the clan Naruto, of course I have to learn to care for animals."

Seeing the certificate stated Kiba was registered as an apprentice vet, Naruto cocked an eyebrow.

"Makes sense. You'd want to be able to help Akumaru in the field if he got hurt." Akumaru yipped at Naruto from his place at the table and wagged his tail hopefully. With a grin, Naruto moved over to scratch his ears while he chatted with Kiba. "Still, I never would have taken you as the type to study, Kiba. Your grades at the academy were almost as bad as mine."

Taking the certificate back and hanging it on the wall, Kiba growled.

"That's cause the academy was boring. Blah blah, history this, pay attention that. Who the hell needs to know that crap? This though, learning to treat injured animals actually means something!"

Naruto frowned at Kiba while he continued to pet Akumaru. He couldn't say that he hadn't almost that exact same thought himself but he'd also had it pounded out of his head. As a clan-head and especially if he became Hokage, the history and politics were necessary. Annoying, irritating and frustrating but still necessary.

"Kiba, I'm not gonna deny that you have a point but you do intend on becoming the next Inuzuka clan-head right?"

Kiba looked a bit startled at Naruto's serious tone.

"Yeah, my sister doesn't want it, so when my mom retires, it will be me."

Naruto sighed.

"I really hate to break this to you but if you are to be the clan-head, you will have to go back and study all that stuff and actually learn it."

"What? Why?" Kiba whined.

Deciding to take a different tract, Naruto shifted the subject.

"I've seen you at the council meetings with your mother." He said quietly. "Just between us, how much of the conversations in the council room did you fully understand?" Raising a hand to stop Kiba's response he continued. "Not just the stuff on the surface, the underlying layers as well."

Kiba's face scrunched up in confusion.

"Huh? Underlying layers? It was just boring politics right?"

Naruto shook his head.

"No, I use to think that way myself, but the council is full of ninja that have survived far past the usual age for a ninja. They talk in double and triple-speak and there is always something 'underneath the underneath.' A really good example would be the last meeting where there was concern about Temari-chan traveling to Suna. Can you tell me why you think there was an issue with it?"

Kiba frowned in thought.

"Well, they didn't want her to because she's pregnant right?"

Naruto nodded, then shook his head.

"That was the surface layer, and a rather pathetic cover, if you ask me. Temari-chan is barely showing. We'll have to move a bit slower but there is no health issue. The second layer was a concern from some council members that Temari-chan would stay in Suna with our children depriving Konoha of the Namikaze heirs."

"I didn't think of that." Kiba said quietly. "It doesn't seem like something that Temari would do though."

Naruto smiled at Kiba warmly.

"No, it's not. While it's true kunoichi are trained to act and seduce far more than shinobi are, Temari is far to blunt for such a thing." He paused and considered his statement. "Not to say that she couldn't do it but I think she's proved her commitment to Konoha. Additionally Suna can't afford to piss Konoha off with something like this, not if they don't want Iwa to smash them back into the desert."

Kiba groaned and rubbed his head.

"Ugh, this makes my head hurt. Why can't things be simpler?"

Naruto chuckled.

"Cause we're shinobi. So, you wanna hear about the other layers to the decision?" His grin widened when Kiba backed off with an expression of horror.

"No, no that's fine. I think I'll just chew on this little lesson for a while thanks." Kiba stopped to consider something. "I don't want to actually hear it, but how deep did that conversation go anyway?"

Naruto's grin dropped off his face to be replaced with a light scowl.

"I'm not sure myself." He admitted quietly. "I know there were at least another three layers to the conversation but I decided to find an alternative path to victory. I can't actually keep up with the older council members, so I played a card they weren't expecting and it worked."

"That seems like such a pain in the ass." Kiba whined. "Are you sure about this?"

Naruto nodded solemnly.

"Yeah, you can ask your mother about it if you want. She's actually probably the easiest of the other council members to talk to cause she's pretty blunt but she at least understands the way things work in there."

"Thanks man, I'm glad you pointed it out for me but I think I might also hate you for it too."

Naruto couldn't help but laugh.

"Yeah." He said, trying to catch his breath. "I understand that exactly. I wanted to murder Ero-Sennin when he first explained it to me." Getting up, Naruto was still snickering as he left the building and headed back out into the village headed for the Hokage tower.

"Excuse me Naruto-sama." Reynard said as he followed Naruto. "I thought we were checking up on Haru?"

Naruto stopped dead hearing Reynard.

"FUCK!"

* * *

After a brief detour back to the Inuzuka compound, Naruto continued on his way to the Hokage tower, after instructing Reynard to keep an eye on Haru. Popping in through the window, he was amused to find Tsunade waiting on him along with an ANBU squad.

"Morning, Baa-chan." He called out cheerfully.

Tsunade crossed her arms and glowered at Naruto.

"Gaki, you were suppose to be here 30 minutes ago. Why are you late?"

Naruto briefly considered pulling out one of Kakashi's excuses until he mentally slapped himself for the idea.

"Sorry, Baa-chan. I was help up over at the Inuzuka compound explaining the realities of being a clan-head to Kiba." Tsunade eyed him suspiciously and he restrained himself from giving her his 'foxy grin'. He'd come to the conclusion that no one actually found it innocent and in reality considered him guilty of something when he used it. _Heh, I can use that to mess with people_ he thought, mentally rubbing his hands in glee.

Deciding Naruto was being truthful, Tsunade motioned him to sit.

"I've finalized a protective detail and briefed them. You sure that you want to do this?"

Naruto nodded and sat back in his chair.

"I don't like it, but it does make sense. I just wish I could talk it over with Temari-chan but I'm aware that I can't." He forced himself to give Tsunade a small bitter smile. "She isn't going to like this at all you know."

Tsunade shook her head.

"No, she won't but she is a kunoichi. For that matter, she was originally trained as a Suna kunoichi. It might take her awhile to cool off but she will understand."

Naruto rolled his eyes.

"Not gonna save me from being beaten with her fan, Baa-chan."

Tsunade smiled with a lot of teeth showing.

"Always a fun show. Moving on, I wanted you to meet the ANBU squad. Like I said, I briefed them but the only other person in the know will be Asuma." Tsunade gestured and the squad moved into the light causing Naruto to growl at Tsunade.

"Not a funny joke Baa-chan." Turning back to the squad, he could only shake his head. The leader of the ANBU looked up from his book and Naruto could almost see the eye-smile under the Dog mask. Gravity defying silver hair? Check. Tall, lanky build? Check. Most damning, little orange book of porn? Check.

"Kakashi-sensei, why the hell are you in ANBU gear?"

Kakashi removed his mask and gave Naruto a cheerful eye-smile.

"Maa,maa. No need for such language Naruto. Any former ANBU agent can be recalled for duty by the Hokage for any reason she deems necessary. In this case, Hokage-sama decided that I was the best suited for protecting you."

Motioning for his squad to join him, he introduced them to Naruto.

"This is Tenzo." He said pointing at a Cat mask. "He has certain useful skills that you don't have clearance for."

Ignoring Naruto's glower, he then waved at a purple-haired woman in another Cat mask.

"This is Neko, she is a kenjutsu specialist and has some medical training."

Naruto help up his hand to stop Kakashi for a moment.

"Skilled in kenjutsu huh? Neko-chan, when we return from Suna, would you be willing to spar with me? I've trained with _Inu-san_ here but I'd really like an instructor that won't waste two to three hours of my time."

Behind her mask, Yugao half smiled, the closest she'd come to actually smiling since Hayate's death. It might be interesting to spat with Kushina-sensei's son, especially if he had learned her kenjutsu style. Realizing Naruto was watching her, she realized she'd allowed her mind to wander. Briefly replaying the conversation in her head, she made a decision. Removing her mask she reached out and ruffled Naruto's hair.

"My name is Yugao, and yes, I would like to spar with you. Your mother was the one that taught me the basics of my blade and while I myself do not use her style, I'm excited to face it again."

Naruto studied Yugao closely. For someone who stated they were excited to spar, she certainly didn't seem very happy. Seeing her eyes were slightly red and puffy, the look in them clicked. She'd lost someone in the invasion, perhaps it was not a good idea for her to travel to Suna.

"I'm sorry to bring this up, but," He said quietly. "Are you going to be alright for this mission?"

He didn't fail to notice her slight twitch at his words.

"I'm assuming you lost someone in the invasion." He said softly. "I'm sorry for your loss but if Baa-chan briefed you, you know this is going to be delicate."

Tsunade spoke up from her place behind the her desk.

"Naruto has a point Neko." She said, stressing Yugao's ANBU codename. "If you are emotionally compromised, there is no shame in turning down this mission."

Yugao blinked at Tsunade in confusion. ANBU did not turn down missions, they simply followed the Hokage's commands. Bowing low, she let her hair cover her eyes.

"Apologies Hokage-sama. I feel that I am capable of this mission but Naruto is correct, my lover died even before the invasion." Straightening, she turned to Naruto. "You met him you know." She said sadly. "Hayate was the original proctor for the third stage of the exams."

Naruto's mind raced as he tried to remember. So much had happened that he hadn't really noticed the proctors. _Wait, the coughing guy? _

"Yes." He said. "I remember him, he had that cough."

Yugao couldn't help it, she started to laugh bitterly.

"Everyone always remembers his cough but never him. He deserved more than to be cut down the way he was and only be remembered for his cough!"

Exchanging glances with Tsunade, Naruto stepped up to Yugao and placed a hand on her shoulder to pull her down to where he could speak in her ear.

"I understand that you are bitter. I understand that you most likely seek revenge. You state that you are not compromised and I will accept your word but this mission is very important to both Konoha and me. This is your last chance to back out, so what is your choice?"

Yugao jerked her head up and stared at Naruto carefully. That tone and the look in his eyes, it was like he was channeling his father. Compassionate and caring but underneath a complete and utter seriousness completely at odds with his reputation as a prankster. To the utter shock of everyone in the room including herself, she bowed to Naruto as deeply as she had to Tsunade.

"Yes, I understand Namikaze-sama. I will fulfill my part of this mission as required."

Naruto blinked and exchanged a quick confused glance with Tsunade. He'd been expecting some sort of reaction but not the one he'd just received.

"Good." He said forcing a smile. "Glad to have you with us then."

Turning around, he dropped the smile and frowned heavily as he met Tsunade's eyes. Seeing her flick them to Kakashi, Naruto blanked his face and turned back to his old jonin-sensei.

"Alright Kakashi-sensei. Who's the last member?" The double strength eye-smile he received in response cause shivers down his spine.

Motioning the last member forward, he smirked under his mask. This was going to be fun.

"May I present Hebi. She is a close range fighter with a sizable knowledge of poisons."

Naruto felt his stomach drop as the purple-haired woman in the Hebi mask stepped forward. He knew that hair-style, he'd had nightmares about the woman who wore it. Lifting his hand he pointed weakly.

"Y-you're the Crazy Snake Lady aren't you?"

Anko peeled off her mask with a cheerful grin. Well, it was cheerful for her, most everyone else considered it to be rather intimidating.

"Yep, and you're the brat I thought wouldn't survive the forest." Producing a kunai from nowhere, she stepped towards him with a bloodthirsty grin. "I wonder if you taste different now that you're a chunin?"

"Anko, that's enough," Tsunade called out rolling her eyes as Naruto hid behind her. "Naruto, she's not going to eat you, stop hiding!"

Poking his head out, Naruto whimpered.

"She likes to drink my blood, Baa-chan. She's scary." He froze for a moment, then stepped out from behind Tsunade and walked over to face Anko. "Anko-chan," He said calmly. "As much as I love our little game of you terrifying me even more than the Kyubi does, I have a request."

Anko leaned forward and blow him a kiss.

"Oh, so forward, I like it." She made a gesture as if she was going to flaunt her assets but stopped when she remembered she was wearing her ANBU gear and not her usual mesh. Standing up straight, she pulled out a dango stick and chewed on the wood. "Alright, what's the request Gaki?"

"Well, it's less a request and more a demand really." Naruto said, visibly restraining his temper. He turned a sugar sweet smile on her. "Anko-chan, if you would, please remove your snake from my pants."

Anko's grin widened considerably.

"That's not usually the guy's line there Gaki." She pointed out cheerfully. "Still, I suppose I could help you out for a price."

Naruto narrowed her eyes at her.

"I do not negotiate with dango terrorists!"

Anko shrugged.

"Suit yourself."

Naruto sighed in defeat.

"It's not one of the poisonous ones again is it?" He answer was another wide grin from Anko. "Damn it, alright one book and you get rid of this snake right now."

"Aww, come on, how about two." Anko pouted.

"No."

"Fine, give me the book and I'll dispel the snake."

Groaning, Naruto unsealed a book of explosive tags and handled them over. Anko made a quick gesture he didn't catch and he breathed a sigh of relief when he felt the snake in his pants disappear.

"One of these days Anko-chan, I will get revenge."

Anko just grinned at him and hummed a tune as she began playing with her new toys.

"Yeah, I'll believe it when it happens Gaki."

Naruto muttered under his breath as he turned back towards Tsunade only to see everyone in the room simply staring.

Tsunade was the first to speak up.

"So, I take it you know each other?"

Naruto rolled his eyes at the question.

"Well, yeah Baa-chan. She terrified me for the second round of the chunin exams and then was selected to proctor the matches where I finally became a chunin. After that, she hunted me down and I do mean hunted cause she's freaking insane, we got to know each other. The Demon Brat and the Snake Whore, of course we got along, though she usually just extorts explosive tags out of me." He turned his head and muttered "Bitch!" at Anko to which she simply stuck her tongue out at him. "Yeah, anyway I usually send a few clones to work with her on her days off from T&I. I don't have the flexibility for Hebi style but Sadist-sensei has 'motivated' me into much higher reflexes."

Tsunade smirked over her steepled fingers.

"Do I want to know?"

Naruto shuddered.

"Baa-chan, I didn't want to know."

Chuckling, Tsunade motioned everyone closer to the desk.

"Alright, this is somewhat odd but you all know the mission. Due to Gaara's request, Naruto will be in charge of the diplomatic aspects of the mission. If this goes well, it should greatly smooth relations between Suna and us but I don't have to remind you of how bad it would be if you fail."

"No, we got it Baa-chan. So, for the most part, you ANBU members will be doing standard protective detail but if things go south your priority is Temari-chan and the clan heirs. If I give the command 'Sandstorm' you will link up with Asuma-sensei and get Temari-chan and Team 8 out." Looking up he noticed all eyes on him in a serious manner. "Hey, don't look at me like that, I'm just planning for the worst case."

Turning back to Tsunade, he began planning and preparation with the occasional input from the ANBU members under his temporary command.

After a lengthy planning session, Naruto headed back to the house tailed by Kakashi. Before the scarecrow could run off, Naruto had snagged him and asked for his help with some training. He'd halfway expected to be blown off but Kakashi had just shrugged and told him to lead the way. Arriving at the gate to his compound, Naruto slowed to a walk and headed towards the training ground.

"Ne, Kakashi-sensei, aside from the planning, what do you think about this mission?"

Kakashi sort of half shrugged not bothering to look up from his book.

"High-risk, high-reward. You'll find that in our work, that's how it usually goes Naruto. Having second thoughts about this?"

Naruto shook his head.

"I never give up and I never go back on my word, you know that Kakashi-sensei. I think I'm prepared for anything but I'm still worried about Neko-chan. I've seen that look in her eyes a lot when we were Team 7 with Sasuke."

Kakashi put his book away and gave Naruto an eye-smile.

"That's true but Neko is far more disciplined than Sasuke. Speaking of, Namikaze-sama? You aiming for another wife Naruto?" Kakashi faked wiping a tear from his eye. "The little ones, they grow so fast."

"I have no idea what the hell happened there Kakashi-sensei." Naruto said with a glare at the masked man. "Honestly it creeped me out even more than Anko-chan being, well, Anko-chan."

Kakashi faked wiping another tear.

"Yes, they grow so fast. I can't wait to read about it in Jiraiya-sama's books."

Naruto threw up his hands in frustration and stalked towards the training grounds followed by a giggling Kakashi. There was no point actually talking to the man when he was in this sort of mood. Anything Naruto said would simply be deflected with something perverse and he wanted to get some training in before the urge to stick a kunai in Kakashi grew unbearable.

Reaching the training ground, Naruto unsealed a length of orange cloth causing Kakashi to give him an odd look.

"Hey, orange is awesome, don't look at me like that Kakashi-sensei." Folding the cloth down, Naruto explained his plan to Kakashi. "So, all of my instructors tell me that until my body matures, I won't be able to do much to increase my physical skills."

Kakashi interrupted with a comment.

"Well, yes but there are things that don't require physical power that you can train."

Naruto nodded.

"Yeah, I know. I figured out that Baa-chan was sending me out to get field experience Kakashi-sensei. What I want to do here is work on my chakra sensing and blind fighting." Flipping the cloth up, Naruto wrapped it around his eyes as a blindfold. "When I was fighting the Sound temes there were several times I almost got killed because I didn't sense them until they were already attacking." Creating some clones, he had them spread out. "What I need from you Sensei is to use your stealth and dispel the clones."

"I see." Kakashi said. "So, you plan to use the memories from the clone dispelling to search for differences in the surroundings compared to the remaining clones."

"Yeah, between me and the remaining clones, we should start being able to track you fairly quickly but please consider each clone a separate silent assassination target. Ruins the lesson if you just pop all the clones at once."

Kakashi chuckled and disappeared into the trees surrounding the training ground. Naruto sat down in the middle of the training ground and had his clones form an irregular ring around him. _Alright, gotta calm down and focus._

* * *

Temari sat enjoying the breeze in the gazebo of her little oasis, letting the chatter of her friends - and Sakura - surround her as pleasant background noise. She had to admit that she was enjoying these weekly gatherings even if sometimes the other girls could really work her nerves. Today was the first time she'd allowed the group into her private desert garden, and with the exception of Ino who had helped create it, the kunoichi had been stunned at the thoughtfulness of Naruto's present. She realized the background chatter had stopped and she opened her eyes to see the other kunoichi all staring at her curiously.

"Sorry, I was just enjoying the breeze, did I miss something?"

Ino's eyes sparkled and she practically bounced in her chair.

"I asked what it was like to be married. So what's it like?"

Temari bought some time for her answer by taking a sip of her tea as she considered the others at the table. The girls all seemed very interested but Sakura also seemed somewhat sad. Temari opened her mouth to say something about that, maybe use it to shift the conversation but stopped when a loud yell came from the training grounds.

"_**Damn it, Kakashi-sensei! You promised you would never use that jutsu again!"**_" Whatever Kakashi had to say went unheard by the girls but it seemed to infuriate Naruto even more. "_**I don't care if it was just a clone! I remember everything that happens to them, so stop sticking your fingers up my ass!**_"

Temari smiled as the girls at the table all started laughing.

"What's it like to be married? Well, it's certainly interesting, that's for sure."

Seeing the annoyed looks the others shot her, she realized she wasn't going to be evading the question that way.

"Fine." She sighed. "I don't really have an answer, not completely. I always knew that as the Kazekage's daughter that I was not going to be able to choose my husband." She said looking off into the sky. Lowering her gaze, she began to fiddle with her nails as she continued in a quiet voice. "I never expected all this though. I never dreamed that someone could beat Gaara, let alone change him for the better and I certainly didn't expect to be married off to the guy that did it."

Ino frowned, she hadn't meant her question all that seriously. She'd just been trying to get Temari joined in the conversation. Looking around the table, she saw her feelings mirrored in the other kunoichi but refrained from saying anything as Temari continued.

"It's not as bad as that made it sound though." Temari said with a small grin. "I spent the trip here from Suna convinced I was going to be married to Uchiha and I was greatly relieved when I found out I wasn't. To be honest, I think Gaara probably would have killed anyone other than Naruto."

Tenten spoke up form where she was idly playing with some kunai.

"It's strange really. I know most of the girls here were all hung up on Sasuke - sorry Ino, Sakura. What I don't get is why all the foreign kunoichi I've met all seem to dread the idea of having married him."

Temari considered her answer and shrugged.

"When I first met him, I thought he was cute until I learned who he was. There were few tears shed in the other villages when the Uchiha clan was destroyed. The clan was feared, not just for the Sharingan but it is widely believed that the clan was highly susceptible to insanity. Despite the strength the Sharingan provides, none of the other villages want anything to do with something that spawns nuke-nin like Madara or Itachi Uchiha. I was very worried that given how desperate Suna was to regain an alliance with Konoha that the advisory committee would accept the risk of that madness."

The girls around the table were all quiet as they considered Temari's words until Sakura spoke quietly.

"I can believe it, but something doesn't make sense to me. My parents sort of directed me at him after I told them I had a crush on him, but thinking back that formed when I wanted to fit in cause all the other girls seemed to like him. If what Temari says is true, why were so many girls interested in him here?"

Ino shrugged.

"I just thought he was cute and cool. It didn't hurt that he was really talented either, but what Temari said explains why my dad was always subtly suggesting I find a different guy."

Hinata spoke up while tapping her fingers together nervously.

"I never really liked him but my father also suggested I keep my distance from Sasuke. It didn't really concern me cause I was always interested in a different boy." Her cheeks were a bit flushed at the end of her statement as the other girls all stared at her knowingly.

"Wasn't interested." Tenten said with a shrug. "Like Hinata, I already had a different boy in my sights and I never understood why everyone thought Uchiha was so cool."

"It's not like Neji-niisan was much better." Hinata muttered under her breath getting a laugh from the other girls around the table as Tenten blushed. "The Uchiha were always relatively isolated from the rest of the village because they were the military police and the prison was so near their compound. It's easy for us to overlook their faults because we kept our distance, but the other countries would have been interested in our weaknesses and definitely would have noticed if the Uchiha were prone to insanity."

Ino held up her hand for quiet.

"As fascinating as I find this, and I do find it _fascinating,_ I believe Temari was telling us about married life."

Temari glowered at Ino and briefly tried to figure out how the other blonde had somehow become her best friend.

"I thought Naruto was an idiot when I met him." She said with a sigh. "I never would have picked him to be my husband but then I would have been wrong." She smirked as she saw that she'd gotten the complete attention of the other kunoichi.

"Naruto is brave, loyal and very sweet even if there are times I want to beat him into the ground." She stopped and stroked her stomach with a small smile. "I'm not sure I'm actually ready to be a mother but I know Naruto will be a great father. I've seen him playing with Konohamaru and his friends and he doesn't just play, he teaches and guides them. It's really interesting to watch."

Ino smirked and blushed a bit.

"So, how is he in the bedroom?"

Temari felt her face flush and she glared daggers at Ino.

"What? Inquiring minds want to know."

"It wasn't great for me." Sakura said quietly. "I thought it would be all romantic like the books but Sasuke wasn't interested in anything but trying to get me pregnant as fast as possible."

Temari sighed and propped her chin on her hand.

"I practically had to rape Naruto on our wedding night." She admitted to laughter from the other girls and even a weak chuckle from Sakura. "He was even more scared than I was. Kept saying he didn't want to do anything I didn't want to do. It was so noble and sweet I just wanted to strangle him and then after I finally convince him, he knocks me up the first night!"

Ino perked up.

"Ohh, first night, not first time, huh?" She said with a leer, though there would have been no reasonable way to tell which time was the one that did it. "So, how many times that first night?"

Temari blushed and looked away.

"There may have been a few times, it's hard to remember." She muttered. Looking back she saw knowing smirks on the other girls faces, even Hinata's which surprised her. "Oh, what the hell do you guys know? A married woman is entitled to certain acts!"

"Oh, we know." Tenten said with a sly smile. "We just want to know what to expect, that's all. Can't blame us for being curious."

"Yeah, tell me, I mean us, more about Naruto-kun." Hinata flushed red and sunk into her jacket when everyone turned and again gave her very knowing looks.

Temari stood and stretched.

"Alright, I'm going in to take a nap." She rubbed her stomach. "Pregnancy is tiring." Headed towards the house, she could feel the others eyes on her and safely hidden she smirked. If she had to be pregnant, the least she could do was use it as an excuse to avoid awkward situations like the one Ino had just trapped her in.

Back at the table, Ino eyed the other kunoichi.

"Well, I certainly wasn't expecting that." She gave them a cherubic smile, her eyes glowing with mischief. "So, shall we discuss your little crush Hinata?"

Hinata gave a little 'eep' and fainted in her chair.

"I guess not."

* * *

Morning came and found Naruto and Team 8 ready to depart at the gate as soon as he could convince Tsunade to release her death-grip on him.

"Baa-chan, air. Need air."

Tsunade relaxed her hug and dropped him back to the ground. Leaning down to whisper, she noticed that he'd grown a bit taller, and she didn't have to lean as far.

"Be careful Naruto. If things go south, make sure you get yourself out. Don't give me that look. You know that you've already planned for the others to get away, make sure you do as well."

"Hai, Baa-chan. I promise that I'll be careful. Don't forget I want that kick-ass hat of yours."

Straightening, Tsunade ruffled Naruto hair and addressed the assembled team.

"Alright, be careful on your trip and remember that, as the requested party, Naruto is in charge of the diplomatic matters while you're in Sunagakure. For other matters, Asuma is in charge as normal. Now, get the hell out of here, I have work to do!"

Laughing, Naruto led the way and the other shinobi joined up in formation around him and Temari. Not far from the gate, they came across a small Iwa team headed slowly towards the gate. Unsealing a hiraishin kunai with a rather sinister grin, Naruto began nonchalantly twirling it where the Iwa-nin could see.

"That's not very nice." Temari gently chided him, getting a shrug in response.

"I'm not my father and I'm not their enemy unless they make me into one." He said so only Temari could hear him. "Still, I thought I should reinforce the image of what they would have to deal with if they did decide to become my enemy."

Temari shrugged and observed the reactions to Naruto's actions. Her eyes narrowed as her gaze crossed that of a slim kunoichi with odd pink eyes. _Hmm, that must be Kurotsuchi and I don't think I like the way she's looking at my husband._ What concerned Temari was that unlike the hatred the other Iwa-nin were displaying, Kurotsuchi was showing only a calculated interest. _I really don't like that look._

* * *

"Hot, hot, hot," Naruto complained as they drew near Sunagakure several days later. "I don't get how you actually lived here."

Temari hid her smirk behind her hand.

"Well, most Sand-nin don't wear heavy black jackets in the middle of a desert, Naruto. They also don't usually travel in the middle of the day like we are."

"We wouldn't be traveling in the middle of the day if you hadn't had to stop and use the bathroom so much." Naruto muttered under his breath, a bit to loudly.

"I'm sorry, but my idiot husband got me pregnant, and his children are pressing on my bladder." Temari snarled reaching for her fan.

"Sorry, sorry." Naruto protested, glancing around for support but finding everyone just happened to be looking anywhere but at him. He idly wondered if ordering the ANBU to protect him from Temari was exceeding his authority. "I just didn't know that being pregnant caused a woman to have to go pee all the time."

Temari sighed and rubbed her temples wearily. She was hot, uncomfortable and irritable and it was mostly Naruto's fault but if she was feeling generous - and she wasn't entirely sure she wanted to be - he might have a point. At least about him not being aware anyway. She had not held the group up with bathroom breaks, and she didn't care who agreed with him.

"Naruto, there are two energetic children dancing on top of my bladder. It causes a woman to have to relieve herself more often, understand?" Seeing his face light up she hastily corrected. "They aren't actually dancing Naruto, it's an expression."

"I know that." he said sulkily. "Be really cool if they were though." His smile returned as he imagined it.

Temari decided it was best for his health if she just ignored him for a while.

* * *

Drawing near the cliff guarding the entrance to Suna, the party was met by a contingent of Sand-nin lead by Gaara and Kankuro. Naruto's eyes lit up at the sight of his brother-in-laws and he wondered how Kankuro was going to irritate Temari this time. It was an amazing talent, actually. He could always, always find some way to incur her wrath, especially if he was trying to avoid it.

"Gaara, Kankuro, it's good to see you guys." Naruto said with a wide grin.

Gaara dipped his head fractionally - Gaara-speak for 'it's good to see you too.'

"Naruto."

"It's not Mak...wait, you're not insulting me?" Kankuro was confused. "Yeah, I suppose it's good to see ya, Naruto." Seeing Temari, Kankuro gave her a happy smile. "Nee-chan, its good to see you, you've gotten so big!"

Out of Temari's line of sight, Naruto made frantic 'stop,stop,' motions, which Kankuro missed focused as he was on the death filled aura now surrounding Temari.

"I'm sorry." She said sweetly, her fingers leaving light indents in the metal of her fan. "You were saying something?"

"Well, me and Gaara have something to discuss, so we'll see you all later. Gotta go, bye now." Naruto grabbed Gaara's arm and hurriedly whispered. "Get us out of here before she blows."

Gaara nodded and they disappeared in a sand shunshin leaving Kankuro at Temari's mercy - or lack of it at any rate.

"I-I didn't mean anything by it." Kankuro protested in a stammer. "I think you look wonderful, Nee-chan. Radiant even."

Temari's smile turned dangerous. "So you don't think I look wonderful all bloated up like a corpse left in the desert that the vultures haven't gotten to yet?"

_Oh dear Kami, there isn't a right answer. Fuck you, Naruto, and you too Gaara for leaving me here._

"Yes?" he said hesitantly, knowing that there really wasn't a right answer and that he was simply doomed.

"Oh, that's good," Temari said pulling her hand from her fan and wrapping an arm around Kankuro's shoulder. "I was really worried that you might think I was getting fat or something. It's nice to have a little brother that understands these things."

Kankuro was frozen, one thought repeating in his mind. _What the fuck, what the fuck. WHAT THE FUCK?_

"Nee-chan, did you just troll me?"

Temari gave him a cheerful smile as she took over leading the group into Suna itself.

"Maybe."

Kankuro stood gaping as they moved away until he realized he was being left behind.

"Hey, wait up, I'm supposed to be your escort!"

* * *

Approaching the Kazekage's office, they were surprised to hear raised voices before Naruto slammed the door open and stalked out with a snarl.

"You're wrong Gaara," He yelled back into the room before he smashed the door closed hard enough to rattle the frame. Seeing everyone staring at him, he forced a smile. "Sorry, Gaara and I are having a bit of a disagreement and I don't think you want to disturb him right now."

Temari glanced at the door with concern.

"What were you fighting about?"

Naruto waved the question away.

"Just jinchuriki things, nothing important. So, where are we staying tonight?"

Temari shifted her glance between the door, Kankuro who was acting very calm for having seen someone yelling at Gaara and Naruto who was acting off. Something was going on, they were hiding something from her and she didn't like it.

"This way." she said curtly. "We're staying at the Kazekage manor where my brothers and I grew up."

Leading everyone towards her old home and ignoring Ino's chatter, she watched Naruto's fingers flicker through signs directed at an ANBU that was obviously Kakashi. Oh, there was definitely something wrong and looking around, she saw Shikamaru watching Naruto intently as well. _So, he senses it too. _Letting Kankuro take over leading everyone to the manor, Temari moved back to walk next to Shikamaru.

"Talk to me, Shikamaru. I know something is going on but I don't know what."

Shikamaru glanced over at her and formed his thinking pose with his hands.

"I'm not sure." He said reluctantly. "I know that the ANBU with us know whatever this is, and that Gaara and Naruto are involved. If I hadn't seen the clear signs of real anger when we met up with Naruto, I would think that he and Gaara were up to something together but he was truly angry." He glanced over again with a frown. "And by truly angry, I mean I thought he was only a moment or two away from drawing on the Kyubi's power even with Ino present. Whatever is going on, it's big and Hokage-sama is involved. Other than that, I got nothing."

Temari nodded her thanks and moved back to her place next to Naruto. She noticed his hidden conversation with Kakashi was done and decided to probe.

"Naruto, what's going on?"

Naruto mentally cursed. He hated leaving Temari in the dark but it was written into his mission requirements. Giving her what he tried to make a reassuring smile, he lied through his teeth.

"Nothing to worry about Temari-chan. Gaara and I just had a little disagreement back there."

Temari let the subject dropped but mentally sighed. She was either really good at reading him now or he just plain sucked at lying because most of that last statement just reeked of deceit. Sooner or later she would figure out what he was hiding.

After a tense evening and supper, the group was gathered around the table in the living room watching Naruto and Shikamaru playing shogi. Temari was watching because she was curious if Shikamaru's large brain had finally figured out a way to beat Naruto. Ino was watching because she had a passing interest in the game but was confused by how Naruto was playing. It lacked any sort of pattern or logic that she could see but it was obviously effective by the amount of time Naruto was holding Shikamaru off. Choji was there because it was just sort of what he did. Asuma was interested and considering challenging Naruto to a match himself. The ANBU squad was just bored and it beat staring at nothing while they stood guard near the edges of the room. Anko was lucky in that she'd won the right to be stationed up on the roof.

A sudden flare of Biju chakra from out in the village caused Naruto to jerk his head from the game. Standing up, he quickly strapped on his gear and accepted the tactical radio Asuma tossed him. Ignoring the confused looks and questions he was getting, Naruto waited staring at the front door.

After a short amount of time, there was a quick knock followed by the door opening. Otokaze, a member of Suna's Advisory Committee, entered and bowed low to Naruto.

"Namikaze-sama, you must help us. The Kazekage-elect has lost control of the demon but we have driven it to the edge of the village. We beseech you to honor our alliance and end this threat."

Naruto's fist clenched but he betrayed no other outward expression of what he was feeling.

"Understood." He said his voice flat. "Lead the way _honorable_ councilor."

Temari exploded up from her seat.

_**"What?"**_ She raged. "Naruto, what the hell are you doing? You're not seriously going to fight Gaara?"

Naruto turned to her with a dead expression.

"Temari-chan, this is an official request and I am required to honor it in the terms of the alliance between the villages."

Temari surged towards him.

"_**No?**_" She screamed. "_**I won't let you!**_"

Naruto turned away and darted for the door.

"Asuma, keep her here. Shikamaru, use your shadow." Reaching the door with Temari restrained by Shikamaru, he turned back to her with a pained smile. "Don't worry Temari-chan, it'll be alright. I promise."

Tearing away from the rage and betrayal on her face, Naruto left to follow Otokaze to where Gaara was waiting for him.

Inside the room, Temari was torn between trying to fight Shikamaru's control of her shadow and trying not to collapse. Her heart was torn. Despite everything, she loved her little brother, but she also deeply cared for Naruto. If the two of them finished what they started at the chunin exams, she would lose no matter which boy won.

Eying Temari cautiously, Asuma shifted closer to Kakashi.

"Inu, do you have the escape route set if Naruto loses control of the situation?" He made an effort to keep his voice barely audible but wasn't concerned Kakashi would have trouble hearing it.

Inu nodded and his fingers flickered quickly in ANBU code. _Escape route clear Hebi reports. Use unlikely, have faith._

Asuma nodded and let another cigarette as he moved back towards his charges. He wasn't thrilled with the whole plan himself but he did have to hand Naruto credit for ensuring his team and Temari had an escape route handy if things went badly. He'd always wondered what his father had seen in the boy, regardless of heritage but it seemed Naruto was growing into his father's mantle more and more these days. _Such interesting times_ he thought as he resumed waiting.

Following behind Otokaze, Naruto reached a training field located away from the edge of the village and found Gaara facing a half circle of Sand-nin and several other Advisory Committee members. The Sand-nin opened ranks to let him pass and he did a quick headcount. _47? These guys think they have Gaara cornered with 47? Damn but they're arrogant._

"So, I understand we need to finish this." He said to Gaara as he placed his hands into the seal for his **Kage Bunshin**.

Gaara inclined his head briefly.

"Uzumaki Naruto, yes, we should end this." Drawing the sand from his gourd and the surrounding ground, he formed it into a large ball hanging between him and Naruto. Not to be outdone, Naruto channeled enough chakra for it to create visible blue flames around him before he created a large army of clones.

Gaara eyed them dispassionately.

"I admit, I am still astounded at the amount of clones you can create. Now however is not the time, we should begin."

Motioning with both hands, the ball of sand split and darted at the Sand-nin watching from behind Naruto. At the same time, Naruto's clones turned and began surrounding and subduing the ones Gaara didn't have enough sand to quickly trap.

"What? What is the meaning of this treachery!" Otokaze demanded from where he was trapped within Gaara's sand.

Naruto glared at the man and walked over to sling an arm around Gaara's shoulders.

"I don't think you have much room to talk about treachery _honorable_ councilor. Gaara is both the rightful Kazekage and my brother-in-law. I'm more than a little amazed you were stupid enough to believe I was going to fight him."

Shrugging Naruto's arm off uncomfortably, Gaara approached the enveloped Otokaze.

"I knew what you were planning, your hatred of me, but I was unsure of how to deal with it until I ran into Naruto when I was dealing with those invaders. It made sense that if I brought Naruto and Temari here to Sunagakure for my coronation, you and your allies would seize the opportunity to use him against me. You have failed, and your little rebellion dies here with you."

Naruto seized Gaara's wrist urgently.

"Gaara, wait. Most of these are loyal Sand-nin following what they believed were valid orders. If you want to prove that you have changed, you can't kill them."

Gaara turned his gaze to Naruto.

"What would you recommend, then?"

Naruto scratched his cheek in thought.

"Well, for the rank and file members, interrogation. If they were simply following what they believed were genuine orders, probation. If they were knowingly attacking you, prison."

"I see, your advice has merit. What would you propose I do with these?" He asked, gesturing at the captured Committee members.

Naruto frowned and looked away.

"Well, if they're like the council members back home, they probably have some way to wiggle out of this. I suspect you probably don't need them undermining your rule."

Gaara formed a sadistic grin as he turned back towards his captives and raised his hands.

"Listen." He commanded everyone present. "Most of you will be interrogated and either placed on probation or imprisoned. There are those among you that started this treachery, and as Kazekage-elect, I am now passing summary judgment. **Sabaku Soso!"**

Still turned away, Naruto tried to tune out the sounds of Otokaze and the other members being crushed by Gaara's sand. He was never going to be as comfortable with death as Gaara and sometimes he wished he could go back to thinking like his younger self. The one that thought being a ninja was all about cool jutsu and just being strong. It was certainly much simpler.

Turning back to Gaara after the sounds stopped, he watched the Suna ANBU stationed nearby begin to take custody of the prisoners. Sighing, he rubbed his eyes.

"Well, at least I didn't have to call in the evacuation command." Keying his mic, he spoke quickly. "Kitsune to Inu. Clear Skies, repeat Clear Skies." Turning the radio off without waiting for a response he spoke to Gaara. "Mission accomplished Kazekage-sama." Dropping from the formal tones, he sighed again. "Unfortunately, now comes the actual hard part of this."

Gaara's mouth quirked in his almost grin.

"What would you consider the hard part Naruto?"

Naruto frowned heavily.

"Explaining this to Temari-chan and surviving." A quick swirl of wind and sand alerted him to Gaara making his escape. "You are such a bastard sometimes."

* * *

"_**All warfare is based on deception. Hence, when able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must seem inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near."**_

**Sun Tzu **

* * *

**AN**

**Alright, chapter finally done, only about a week later than normal but about double length. As I stated earlier, I've created a story for one-shots and short stories based in the CF AU and I would love for people to write something they would like to see there. Write something based on CF and pm me, we'll get the DocX connection set up and then we'll post it in CF Stories. I reserve the right to edit for grammar and spelling but I'm not going to mess with the content. If you're interested, PM me and we'll get everything all set up.**

**Naruto is in charge of the diplomatic mission which gives him some authority over Asuma and the ANBU team but ultimately they could overrule him if they felt it was necessary. The only reason Tsunade gave him that much control though was because as the one who defeated Gaara, only he could fulfill this particular mission.**

**I know, no second Dresden quote this chapter but I thought Sun Tzu made a better fit. o7**


	21. Important Status Update

As you're probably all aware, there have been some very nasty storms hitting the US Mid-West. Several tornado (whats the plural form of tornado anyway?) have hit near where I live. No deaths and few injuries but lots of property damage. I'm busy with my job and cleaning up after the storms so not much time to write right now. That being said, I'm not stopping this story, it's just going to be a bit delayed. Sorry for the inconvience guys and once things get back to normal, the updates will happen on time. o7

Thanks,

Agg


	22. The way the wind blows

Disclaimer: Usual stuff. I do not own Naruto and it's unlikely I ever will.

Should be obvious by now, this doesn't have Dragon's touch yet. She's pretty awesome, even if she has trouble with "mythy" things. :D (You didn't think that was over did you Dragon?)

* * *

AN

**Thanks to everyone that reviewed with concern and well-wishes. I tried to answer the reviews but it's possible that I missed some of you, it has been a bit crazy around here. If so, once again,thank you for your support. o7**

**Bad news, school is out for the summer. I'm going to lose a lot of my writing time since I'm coaching my younger daughter's softball team this summer. What could possibly go wrong with a group of 15 or so 10-11 year old girls. (I really shouldn't have let C's puppy-eyes sway me. This is going to be a really, really long summer I think. *sigh)**

"**My magic. That was at the heart of me. It was a manifestation of what I believed, what I lived. It came from my desire to see to it that someone stood between the darkness and the people it would devour."**

― **Jim Butcher, Fool Moon **

* * *

**Ah, women. They make the highs higher and the lows more frequent.**

**Friedrich Nietzsche **

* * *

Naruto stared nervously at the door to the Kazekage's manor. He was extremely hesitant to enter and face Temari, especially considering he'd ordered Asuma and Shikamaru to hold her there away from what she thought would be a fight between him and her brother. If things happened according to plan, Asuma should have briefed Temari and his team after he'd called in the mission successful code of 'Clear Skies' but that probably wasn't going to save him from Temari's temper.

From her place on the roof Anko was watching Naruto with a great deal of amusement. She'd read the reports on him and she found it hilarious that the boy would unflinchingly face down much stronger shinobi but was afraid of his wife's temper. "It's a door Gaki," she called from her perch. "You turn the knob, open it and enter. It's not that hard."

Naruto rolled his eyes at the advice. "Gee, thanks Hebi-chan. You're always so helpful." When the masked woman just shrugged with an obvious air of amusement, Naruto sighed and decided he might as well get it over with.

Opening the door, he pasted a cheerful smile on his face that died when Temari narrowed ice-cold green eyes on him. He froze as she stalked across the room towards him, noting the overly controlled motions that screamed rage to him. He opened his mouth to say something but was stopped when Temari's fist flashed forward and impacted on his ribs with a sickening snap that drove him to his knees to cradle what he assumed was at least one broken rib. Struggling to regain his breath, he could only watch as Temari stood over him with a murderous glare.

"How could you?" She growled. "He was my brother and your friend. HOW COULD YOU KILL HIM?"

Naruto flinched as her controlled tone gave way to a rage and pain filled roar. Still having trouble breathing, Naruto weakly held a hand up towards her. "W-wait," he managed to stammer out. "Didn't fight him, mission was to help him," he finished in a wheeze.

Temari reached down and hooked Naruto by his jacket collar to pin him against the wall, his feet dangling a few inches off the floor. "Explain," she commanded coldly.

Taking a few moments to compose himself, Temari jerking him off the floor had done some agonizingly painful things to his ribs, Naruto met her gaze evenly. "I was sent on a mission. I was to help Gaara dispose of traitors in the Advisory Committee."

Temari searched his face for any of his tells and concluded that he was telling her the truth but in some ways, that actually made her even more angry. Releasing his collar and stepping back she planted her fists on her hips and used her height advantage to loom over her husband. "You didn't think I should know this?" she all but hissed at him.

Naruto winced, before she'd broken his ribs, this was the part he'd been most worried about. "The mission request from Suna explicitly said you were not to be told Temari-chan. The only people who knew were Asuma-sensei, the ANBU escort squad, Gaara, Kankuro, Baki and me." He'd probably have gotten a smaller reaction if he'd slapped her. Temari's face flushed and she gritted her teeth and reached behind her back for her fan before she abruptly straightened and stormed from the room without another word. Naruto watched her go with a profound sense of unease and guilt. He knew first hand how much it sucked to have secrets kept from you but he needed to explain in a more private setting.

Dragging himself to his feet, arm wrapped around his aching ribs, he stumbled across the room and collapsed on the couch next Asuma. Rolling his head towards the jonin, he glared at the man. "Why the hell didn't you tell her I didn't kill Gaara," he demanded a bit testily.

Asuma blew a streamer of smoke and pointed up. "I tried, she wasn't listening and after she pulled this sweet little wind jutsu that slammed me into the ceiling, I decided that it was your problem."

Naruto moved his gaze to where Asuma was pointing to see a large indent in the ceiling and he winced in sympathy. To make that large of a dent in a brick ceiling, Temari must have used a lot of power. It served as a reminder that his wife was a damn powerful kunoichi even in her second trimester of pregnancy. He winced again as the pain from his ribs drove the point home. "Gotcha, that had to hurt Asuma-sensei."

Asuma chuckled around his ever-present cigarette. "Yeah, took me by surprise but I'm gonna have to make her show me that jutsu. Not a lot of wind users in Konoha and like I said, it was a pretty sweet little jutsu she used on me."

Ino began to get irritated at the banter between the two. "Naruto! What are you doing. Go talk to her!"

Naruto gave her an incredulous look. "Ino-chan, in my experience, being punched does not mean a girl wants to talk."

Ino looked aside and pressed the heel of her palm against her forehead with a muttered, "Forehead!" Lowering her hand and turning back, she adopted a lecturing tone more suited to a not very bright child. "Naruto, not all girls are like Sakura ya know. I'm telling you that if you don't go talk to her, you're gonna regret it."

Naruto shifted forward towards Ino on the couch and winced at the pain it caused. "And I'm telling you, I really don't think she wants to talk."

Ino sniffed and crossed her arms. "Fine, don't listen to the only girl in the room but I warned you!"

"Fine, you warned me, now can you do something about my ribs please."

"Baka," Ino muttered before moving forward to scan his ribs with a basic medical jutsu. She whistled under her breath as she saw the extent of the damage from that one punch. "She really did a number here Naruto," she said quietly, focused on the scan. "There are hairline fractures on several ribs and two on your sternum. How the hell did you get up and walk over here?"

Naruto winced as she switched from scanning to healing. It beat even his fast recovery time but having someone force your bones to heal at an accelerated rate was unpleasant. "High pain tolerance," he grunted. He managed to distract himself when he noticed Ino had her tongue partially sticking out of the corner of her mouth as she concentrated. It was really cute but wisely he refrained from saying anything. He'd already suffered enough under female hands today as far as he was concerned.

Ino sat back with a sigh and wiped sweat from her forehead with her arm. "Done," she said tiredly. "It's gonna be sore for a few days but nothing I can do about that."

Shifting around and stretching, Naruto flashed her a pleased grin. "Thanks Ino-chan, that was awesome. You're getting really good at that medical stuff."

Ino turned to hide the light blush his words caused and moved back to her earlier seat. Seeking a way to change the subject before anyone noticed her embarrassment, she decided to ask about the mission. "Ok, so since Asuma-sensei wasn't able to brief us before, what actually happened?" Her gossip instincts told her that this was probably a really good story, it was a pity it would probably be classified.

Naruto quickly traded glances with Asuma and Kakashi and both of the older shinobi just shrugged. _Might as well be me, if I head into classified stuff I'm sure one of them will stop me._ Sinking back in the comfortable couch, Naruto scratched his cheek in thought. "Where to begin," he mused softly. "Well, I'm sure Shikamaru told you we ran into Gaara during our last mission right?" Getting nods from both Ino and Choji, he continued. "In the aftermath after the tube-rat ran away," he paused and glared when Shikamaru had to stifle a laugh, "As I was saying, after the mission ended, Gaara approached me and asked for my help. It had already been decided that he would become Kazekage but he had concerns about the internal politics here in Suna."

"Naruto," Kakashi said with a subtle undertone of warning.

Naruto held his palm up towards Kakashi. "Don't worry Inu-san, I'm just covering the basics." Getting a satisfied nod from Kakashi he turned his attention back to team 8 and was unsurprised to find them studying him carefully. "So what Gaara had trouble with was that he didn't believe it would have been possible for even Orochimaru to have impersonated the previous Kazekage without inside help."

Shikamaru had his hands in his thinking pose. "I see," he said slowly. "He could not trust anyone in Suna but you, he knew where your loyalty would be."

Naruto nodded at the lazy genius. "Yeah," he said sheepishly. "We spent some time working out the details and then I took the mission to Baa-chan."

Shikamaru nodded while Ino and Choji still looked confused. "It was very clever of Gaara to seek Naruto's assistance," he told his team. "Temari-san has told me when we've chatted during our shogi games that Naruto is the only one that has every defeated Gaara. Naruto comes to Suna and he and Gaara stage a fight. The traitors on the committee would never be able to pass up possibly their only chance to eliminate Gaara so they enlist Naruto's aid claiming it to be the will of the committee. Being an allied shinobi, supposedly very angry with Gaara, Naruto would have little choice and a great deal of motive but to fight Gaara."

Ino's eyes lit up. "But instead of fighting each other, they turn on the Suna traitors right?"

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, that about sums it up."

Shikamaru shook his head. "This plan was insane, if something had gone wrong, it would have probably kicked off another shinobi war," he said tiredly.

Naruto stuck his tongue out childishly. "Well it didn't go wrong so there."

"I don't understand."

"Eh, sorry what Choji?" Naruto asked.

Choji idly shoved a chip in his mouth and chewed as he thought. "I'm not sure I understand some of this. Everyone knows you and Gaara are friends. Why would the committee assume you would fight Gaara?"

Naruto winced, this was going to skirt some personal issues. "That Gaara and I are friends is common knowledge in Konoha," Naruto agreed. "Here in Suna, not so much. There are many people here that don't believe Gaara is even capable of friendship. These same people would also believe the same thing about me because of the burden Gaara and I both carry." Naruto rubbed his temple in frustration over that sort of thought process. "Every shinobi is a weapon for their village," he said after a small pause. "That doesn't mean that's _**all**_ we are, but it is the truth. Still, if every shinobi is a weapon, say a kunai, then those like Gaara and myself would be more like swords." Seeing he'd lost Choji and Ino, he backtracked a bit. "The traitors were the sort to believe that jinchuriki aren't human so they never would have believed Gaara and I were friends."

Seeing pity on Ino and Choji's faces, Naruto opened his mouth in irritation only to be cut off by Shikamaru. "The benefits of this plan are obvious, but the potential consequences are very troubling. I do not see Hokage-sama agreeing to this simply to further ties with Suna. What was worth the risk for Konoha Naruto?" Still in his thinking pose, he spoke again before Naruto could answer his last question. "Yes, I know that you would have done this simply because Gaara is your friend. I can also understand that you feel obligated to help your brother-in-law, but that can not be the sole reason."

Naruto sighed and nodded. "Yes, you're right, there was something else," he coincided. "You may not be aware of this, but part of the marriage contract stated that our first-born male child would be required to marry a Suna kunoichi. From what Temari-chan told me, the Advisory Committee wanted to start a Namikaze clan branch here in Suna." He paused to make sure he still had control of his temper. No one had told him about that little detail until _after_ he'd married Temari and he wasn't sure which pissed him off more. The fact that his son's life was being dictated or that no one had felt he had the right to know, let alone say anything about it.

Sure that he wasn't going to lose control of his temper, he continued the story. "So, Gaara wasn't fond of the people that decided his fate before he was born also deciding his nephews fate, for some odd reason. Tomorrow after he is sworn in as Kazekage, the first thing Gaara plans to do is strike that portion from the contract."

"I see," Shikamaru said as he relaxed from his thinking pose. "The game you play Naruto, it's almost better then shogi."

"Gotta look underneath the underneath," Naruto said with a crooked grin, silently thanking Shikamaru with his eyes for dropping the subject. Shikamaru might understand much of the hidden currents but neither of his teammates would without a great deal of explaining. Somebody had played a long, subtle game with that little number and Naruto really didn't feel like explaining how having a Suna wife and a child in Suna would prevent him from becoming Hokage but still strengthen village ties at the same time. As he'd told Kiba, he wasn't at the level he could keep up with the elder shinobi and kunoichi... yet. _I wonder if I should invite Shikamaru over to discuss these things with me and Temari-chan. If she ever decides to speak to me again that is. Fuuuck I hate my life sometimes._

"Naruto," Ino said. "Why weren't you allowed to tell us or Temari-san?"

Naruto frowned and shot a glance at Asuma who flicked his eyes around the room briefly before resuming his usual lazy look. "Sorry Ino-chan, I don't really know why it was added to my orders," he lied with a straight face. _That was a really stupid question to ask while we are still in Suna Ino-chan._ Getting to his feet, Naruto stretched ignoring the slight twinge from his ribs. "Alright guys, its been a really long day, and I need to go beat the hell out of a Kage. See ya in the morning." Ignoring the irritated look on Ino's face, Naruto quickly used a shunshin to escape any other questions.

Ino stared at the handful of leaves drifting to the floor with irritation then turned to glare at her team. "That was rude, I had more questions."

Shikamaru glanced up and met her gaze. "Probably why he ran off, you're very troublesome." _You owe me big time for this Naruto,_ he thought as Ino predictably flared up. He traded a wry glance with Choji as the blonde started lacing into them. _Make that, he owes us._

* * *

With night having fallen, Naruto knew there were only a handful of places he'd have to search for Gaara. Unable to sleep, his friend could almost always be found somewhere high watching the moon and the stars. In many ways, it was very similar to Naruto retreating to his father's head and watching out over the village.

Finding his target, Naruto jumped over and sat down next to his friend with a deep sigh. The two boys sat watching the stars in comfortable silence for several minutes until Gaara spoke. "I assume things went poorly if you are here Naruto."

Naruto winced in memory and threw Gaara a crooked smile. "Just a bit, she broke my ribs cause she thought I killed you. Remind me to _thank_ you for that one of these days."

Gaara's lip twitched then stilled. "I am her brother, you are her husband, it seemed fitting that you face her wrath rather then I."

Naruto chuckled. "Oh, you are such an ass sometimes but never fear o'brother-in-law of mine. I'm completely certain that she's going to take a strip out of your hide tomorrow."

Gaara nodded. "Not unexpected. Were you able to inform her of the mission payment?"

Naruto frowned heavily. "No," he said with a large sigh. "I walked in, she broke my ribs and then stormed off when I told her it was mission orders from telling her about it beforehand. I briefed team 8 and then I came to find you. I figured I'd let her cool off some."

"That is unfortunate," Gaara replied evenly. "Observing my siblings, I have noted that any time Kankuro left her alone after angering her, Temari only grew more angry."

Naruto dragged his palm down his face. "Well, that's wonderful," he said with irritation. "So, by not following her after she punched me, I probably made her even more angry?"

"That was what always seemed to happen with Kankuro," Gaara replied.

"Great, just freaking great. Not only do I have to deal with a pissed Temari-chan, Ino-chan is never going to let me live this down." Seeing the question in Gaara's eyes, Naruto explained. "Ino-chan told me I needed to follow Temari-chan. Told me I would regret it if I didn't. I dearly hate it when Ino-chan is right and knows it. It's, well its unpleasant."

Gaara turned his face back towards the sky. "Yes, I'm sure it is."

**Chapter is not completed. I wanted to show that I am still working on the story even if things are still really hectic. This is going to be another long chapter once its complete and I THINK I might be able to get it done before the end of the month. o7  
**


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